The Path We Walk
by DragonAgnstEvil
Summary: Akatsuki is on the move, and they want the remaining bijuu. They've entrusted Sasuke with the one they know the least about, but he has two other agendas. Can Naruto, standing at the center of these three plans, stop the twisted goals? AC and V
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Naruto or any cannon characters or storylines. I do own any introduced (aka: new) characters and storylines. I also own my own lazy state-of-affairs and unusual sense of humor. I reserve the right to only put the disclaimer with the first chapter, but it carries over to all chapters henceforth. I also do not own your personality. You are to enjoy or not enjoy this at your leisure. I also reserve the right not to care that this story contains spoilers. In other words, you shouldn't read this if you don't know as much of the cannon story as I do.

* * *

**The Path We Walk**

Gaara sat in the windowsill of his master bedroom. He was gazing out at Suna, his village. The Kazekage was no longer the ultimate weapon, but he was still feared by his enemies and respected by his village. It was a hard-earned respect, and he intended to fight tooth-and-nail to keep it.

His vision turned to his bed. A human-sized lump gently moved within the covers. A feminine moan came from lump as an arm exited the wrap of covers. The arm then franticly flailed to find the missing body warmth before bolting into a seated position. The covers fell to reveal a brown-haired, dark-eyed teenager roughly a year or two younger than Gaara.

"Gaara?" Her voice quaked with fear. When her eyes fell on his silhouette at the window, she heaved a sigh of relief. "Why don't you stay in bed with me?" She wore a pout. She wasn't disappointed in him, but she was worried he still might fear the company. She knew the long years of resentment still lingered which he fought.

"Matsuri…" He hesitated as he spoke her name. She was still the kind, sweet-hearted girl he knew when he picked the jouhyou for her. When he tried to come up with an excuse, she gave him stern eyes. "I'm still…not used…" She stopped him by standing, the covers falling onto the bed.

She walked over to him and embraced him. "It's okay, Gaara-kun. It's okay." She trembled slightly when he returned the embrace. Despite his circumstances, he was still extremely warm. It didn't help she loved him madly, and his touch to her naked skin still brought a flush to her cheeks. "Was it that nightmare again?"

Gaara nodded as his face fell between Matsuri's neck and shoulder. "It's always the same. I don't have the Ichibi Shukaku anymore, but he still gives me sleepless nights." After Naruto, Matsuri became his best friend, and he never regretted where their relationship went from there. She knew more about him than most people, even his own siblings.

She gently cupped his cheeks and forced him to look her in the eye. She loved gazing into his seafoam green eyes, but she had to be serious. At least she had to be for a moment. "I've waited years for the smallest chance to touch you. I can wait a little while longer for you to stay in bed with me." Her eyes curved with her gentle smile as she leaned in and kissed him.

He enjoyed the warmth she gave him, and he never denied the chance to touch. While he was a jinchuuriki, he couldn't touch or be touched without the automatic defense going up. Matsuri found that out the hard way when she tried to hug him. A wall of sand kept her at arms length, and his pleading eyes told her he wasn't doing it. She always understood, never hated, and never backed down.

It was that determination which finally allowed Temari and Kankuro to accept her while shunning the rest of his…fan girls. They hid the relationship well. Matsuri became known as Gaara's one and only apprentice. Considering the fact that she had already been kidnapped to draw him out, they continued hiding their relationship until shortly after Shukaku was extracted. Shortly after the entourage from Konoha left, their relationship was made public, and they were wed.

The recurring nightmare related to the extraction. Nobody knew the cause, and some speculated it was Shukaku's last ditch effort to stay alive. In other words, some feared the Ichibi may have permanently scarred his mind. He dreamed of awaking from his slumber only to find those most precious to him dead, and his hands were always soaked in their life essence.

* * *

Gaara awoke in a haze. His vision was clouded, and he wiped his brow to find cakes of blood. His eyes went wide as he tossed the drying blood away and looked to his side. Matsuri was looking at him with cold, dead eyes. A look of horror and pain was forever etched upon her rigid face. He let out a blood-curdling cry as he fell out of his bed with a hard thud against the floor.

He frantically backed away from the bed, and he could clearly smell the blood and smoke. He stood up to look out the window, and a look of distraught rage filled his eyes. His eyes darted back and forth to find the attacker. He finally jumped out his window and landed on a cloud of sand. Suna was in ruins, and bodies were strewn across the streets.

"Who did this?!" He finally screamed out. He looked around, determined to find and slay the attacker. His eyes finally fell on a familiar figure strolling towards the canyon walls entrance. He felt fear as he touched down and approached the foreboding figure. He willed a wall of sand to appear before the attacker.

The attacker turned to reveal himself. Gaara felt like he was looking in a mirror as he stared down himself. He was completely clean, not a speck of blood on him. He tilted his head with a crazed smile. "I saw you were done here, so I was just heading somewhere else to continue."

Gaara blinked, frozen in spot. He wasn't sure he wanted to know this other's implication. "What do you mean? I have done nothing!" He swung his arms low in open defiance. The other returned a confused look. Gaara pointed at the nearest body. "Why did you attack my people? I thought Akatsuki removed you for good!" He moved his finger to point it accusingly at the other.

The other turned his crazed smile into an annoyed frown. "You think you can threaten me? …Shukaku the Ichibi?" Shukaku reared back in raucous laughter. After nearly a minute of mirth, he leaned forward and wiped a tear from his eye. "Besides, _I_ didn't do anything here. _You're_ the one covered in blood." Hands of sand raced towards Shukaku only to drop two, lifeless bodies.

Gaara's eyes went wide as he studied the corpses and fell to his knees. Temari and Kankuro lay on the ground, rigor mortis already setting in. Shukaku laughed. "They feared you all this time, and it was you who finally killed them." He looked to Gaara with a smirk. "I'll finish the job. That brat holding the Kyuubi is next. Then I'll take my time with Konoha."

* * *

Gaara usually woke up with a start before the nightmare continued. It only went farther a few times, so he didn't remember the details as vividly. He did remember the grief of having killed Naruto, then his precious people, then the rest of Konoha. It was his deepest fears from when he was a jinchuuriki, and they were finally given visible form in his slumber.

Matsuri always comforted him. Besides her, only Temari, Kankuro, and two medic nins knew. All were sworn to secrecy, and none dared betray that promise. Now, Matsuri knew she had to comfort him. She led him to the bed and sat him down. After stroking his cheek, she turned to the wardrobe to get dressed. Gaara wore a sullen expression as he watched.

When she was fully clothed, she sat on the bed and directed him to lay his head on her lap. As she gently ran her hands through his hair, she wore a sad smile. "How far did it go this time?" She hated making him relive his night terror, but she always knew how affected he was by where it stopped.

Gaara looked into her face, and he gave Matsuri his awkward smile. He wasn't sure of his emotions yet, but he felt he had to reassure her. He felt comfortable lying on her lap. "It stopped halfway through. I had to get some fresh air." He was sad to leave her warmth behind, and he recalled she instantly reacted by drawing the covers closer to herself.

She gently smiled and leaned down to plant a kiss on his forehead. If he didn't have the responsibility, she would have kept him off active duty. She wanted to devote his and her time to helping his mental state recover. As she pulled back from his face, she noticed the angle of the sun and let out a depressed sigh. "I, unfortunately, can't keep you in bed all day." She playfully pushed him onto his feet. "The Kazekage can't be late for work."

He smiled at her and nodded. As he put on his robes of state, she prepared her ninja gear. She still preferred the jouhyou, and her form was perfect. She was no longer afraid of the blade, but she was among the most adept at capturing her foes. She had long since risen to the rank of chunin, and she was more than capable of attaining jonin if she ever so desired.

For the time being, she enjoyed being placed on guard duty. She was often among the chunin placed as guard and secretary of the Kazekage. When a mission called for her expertise, she dutifully accepted and completed it. She once told Gaara's siblings she'd rather stay a chunin until she was strong enough to be an able ANBU. She did what she could to maximize her time spent with him.

* * *

Temari was speeding through the desert of Wind. She just completed a mission. The scowl on her face told how much she hated it, and the cuts and bruises on her skin told of the tough battle. She replayed the events over and over in her head as she went along. It started off as routine. It was only supposed to be B-rank, a simple escort mission she could handle on her own.

She even offered the mission could have been ranked lower because of the extremely _low_ possibility that enemy ninja might attack. The merchant insisted his wares were likely to be targeted by a certain group of bandits seen with a B-rank missing nin. As it turned out, the merchant was right. Halfway to River, they were ambushed. The bandits were easily dispatched, but Shoka Katsurugi made off with the merchandise. She never expected him to be far more than the Bingo Book gave him credit.

* * *

Temari was on his trail for days. She just wanted to be back in Suna with her brothers and sister-in-law. However, she was more worried about failing such a simple mission and making all sand nin out to be weak. Though allied once more with Konoha, Suna fought hard to regain even the meager reputation they had before. She wasn't about to betray the village by letting this failure disgrace the village.

Katsurugi wasn't hard to follow. He was a missing nin from Iwa, and his bounty was high for his rank. He betrayed his village after failing to attain chunin for the eighteenth time. The Bingo Book reported he was more than strong enough, but he lacked the qualities required for advancement. He spent over nine years as a genin before he had enough, and he stole a valuable weapon before making a hasty retreat.

Temari did get a good look at him before he made off with the merchandise. He still wore his hitai-ate around his thigh. She was surprised by the slash across his ex-village's symbol. She didn't want to assume what it meant, so she stomped any guesses before they took root. Other than his hitai-ate, he was surprisingly common. He was an average height with an average build. He wore Iwa camouflage, so he stood out in Wind. He was probably three years older than her with stone-brown hair and grey eyes.

The entire time she followed him, she thought back to his eyes. They stared off into the distance, and they never seemed to focus on anything. Was he blind? She worried he might have a kekkei genkai, but she squashed those thoughts before they unnerved her. She also knew she couldn't allow herself to get lost in thought.

When she finally came upon a clearing, she slowed and stealthfully approached. She wasn't about to give away the element of surprise. Katsurugi was about as good at hiding his chakra signature as a fresh genin. He probably ran and hid his tracks as best he could as he did everything to confuse any possible trackers. He double-backed more times than she cared count, and he seemed to just lead her on a wild goose chase around Suna. In the days and uncounted miles traveled, they were less than ten miles from where they started.

Temari carefully looked about the camp site. There was a single fire in the center, and it was hidden more skillfully than she thought possible for him. There were also several tents. She counted them, and they seemed like they might have accommodated the bandits he _was_ traveling with, until their untimely demise. Sure she didn't sense any other presences; she strolled casually into the dim light the fire cast.

Katsurugi didn't skip a beat. Her appearance startled him, and he was sure he ditched her long ago. He licked his cracked lips as he reached over his shoulder to the strange, leather case strapped there. He withdrew three poles stacked against each other and linked by chains. "So, the little lady would like to play?"

Temari didn't miss his condescending tone. She pulled her fan off her back and leaned against it. She was confident she could take the guy, but he was barking up the wrong tree if he thought he could take her lightly. "I'll give you one chance to return what you stole. I might even consider taking you in alive."

He scoffed and laughed. He couldn't believe the blond kunoichi thought she could beat him. He didn't know her rank within Suna, but he knew how much the Bingo Book underestimated him. "If you think you can beat me, you're certainly confident or stupid enough to try." He felt her chakra spike and her killer intent roll, so he knew he struck a nerve.

She lifted, pulled back, and unfurled her fan. With a heavy swing, she let loose a chakra-infused gust towards the offending missing nin. He quickly leapt back and flung the loose sections of his weapon out. Her smirk disappeared as the loose sections didn't flap helplessly in the wind. Instead, he sent his chakra through the material. They straightened out and snapped together. The chain links were no longer visible, and he held a staff weapon.

Temari was about to swing again when Katsurugi held his staff above his head. With a smirk, he smashed it downward while calling out. "Fool! _Katon: Sanrinho no Jutsu_!" The staff was immersed in flames halfway down its trajectory. When the staff hit the hard ground, the flames momentarily backfired before looping around and creating three rings. The fire rings shot at Temari with surprising speed, and they picked up strength from the wind technique she used.

She was forced to raise her fan in defense. A defensive wall of wind would only amplify the already amplified _Sanrinho_, so she sent chakra into her fan and hoped to weather the flames without too much damage. As they washed over the fan, the flames licked and tore at her clothes. She smelled hair singe and skin burn. She was _not_ a happy camper! _"He had to be a Katon user; didn't he?"_

Her inward musings were cut short when she heard footsteps running towards her. At least her opponent wasn't dumb enough to think he finished her that easily. Unfortunately for her, she was severely mismatched. She was a mid to long range fighter, and her opponent was a short to mid range fighter. She used Fuuton, and he naturally opposed her with Katon.

Temari jumped back to avoid him. His first swing missed her widely, but he displayed his skill in not letting that go to waste. He focused his chakra into his weapon, and her right arm was licked by flames. She was put on the defensive, and Katsurugi pressed his advantage. He didn't know if she had a secondary element, but he was sure he didn't want to find out.

She was prepared for his second swing. His third swing nearly hit her, but he made the most of the glancing blow. She focused chakra with his fourth swing, and he grinned widely as he hit her collar bone, heard a crunch, and pushed chakra into his weapon. She was engulfed by flames. He shook his head in dissatisfaction. "Tch. She hardly put up a fight. Oh well, she was the one to underestimate me."

Katsurugi heard a snapping twig behind him, and he almost dismissed it for a wild animal. Almost, that is, until he felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his right calf. He felt his body convulse before he forced his muscles to respond. Before a second kunai could imbed itself in him, he jumped away. He landed in a tree and unceremoniously extracted the offensive weapon. He noted how close it came to a major artery.

His eyes went wide when he felt the killer intent. It was coming from all around him. His eyes went wide when he heard her voice. "I think _you're_ the one underestimating _me_." Temari smirked before throwing two more kunai, each attached to a thin, metal wire.

He skillfully dodged a third and fourth kunai coming from straight ahead. Measuring their trajectory, he breathed in deeply and collected chakra in his lungs. _"I'll get her this time. Katon: Hidama Mugoi no Jutsu!"_ His mouth spewed a wide-angled flame. He released the flames for a full breath. He smirked feeling confident he hit her. When two more kunai flew at him from the right, he carefully dodged them and repeated the technique. _"How did she dodge that? Katon: Hidama Mugoi no Jutsu!"_

Katsurugi looked around frantically. He knew he had to find the sand nin before she landed a solid blow. She may have been at a disadvantage in elements, but she hid well and had forced him to use multiple Katon techniques. He dodged two kunai which came from behind and felt like he had enough. He held his staff in his right hand and slipped it behind his back while holding his left hand over his mouth. "You're dead!_ Katon: Soudai Horeiki no Jutsu_!"

His body seemed to become swallowed up by flames. The flames extended outwards until it was a perfect sphere surrounding him. Temari threw two more kunai as she watched. She knew by the amount of chakra that this technique was a high level one. When the kunai came in contact with the flame sphere, it moved then quickly expanded. The kunai continued along their path and embedded in a tree not far away.

She didn't have time to think about her plan before she had to duck behind a tree. She knew the flames would simply lap around the tree to get to her, so she set her fan in front of her and focused her chakra into it. She didn't know how long the flames would last or how long she could. She just had to fight it. After twenty seconds passed, she clearly heard something spinning. The flames finally died down, and she turned to see what it was.

Katsurugi finished spinning and nearly fell to his hands and knees. He felt confident again, and he allowed a wide smile to display what he felt was an assured victory. He looked around the clearing. It expanded slightly from the battle, but that was to be expected. The scorched trees were still scalding, and he saw the embers pulsing glow. He reared his head back and started laughing. "Stupid girl. That's what she gets for interfering with me. Too bad though. She was cute. I coulda used her to relieve some pent up frustration."

He stood up and stumbled backwards slightly. He felt a resistance and squinted his eyes. He looked around his side, and all he saw was two kunai embedded in a tree not two feet from him. He followed their trajectory. "Oh yeah… That girl was able to move awfully fast. Oh well, no way she survived my _Soudai Horeiki_ anyway." He walked over to the kunai. As his hand moved towards one of them, his hand brushed against something. "What the…?"

His thoughts and sentence never finished. With his hand against the wire, he heard his opponent yell. The problem was he heard her from all sides, like earlier. It was eerie in its finality. "Bye-bye! _Raiton: Senpuuki_!" Katsurugi never had a chance, and Temari knew it. He didn't even notice that all he burned earlier was a sleeping bag. She walked over to the charred missing nin while pulling out a scroll.

She rolled the scroll out and performed the necessary signs to seal his corpse within. When she packed it, she looked at her clothes. They were worse for wear, but she was glad they were intact enough not to reveal her body to the world. They were still ruined, and she sighed. "I'm at least collecting the reward on this guy, so he'll end up paying for new clothes."

She stomped over to his tent to find the merchandise he stole. She found a lot more than she bargained for. She had to use another scroll to seal everything she found. There were scrolls outlining a secret organization she had long since learned to loathe, Akatsuki. He seemed to be writing in one to send to them. She found merchandise thought lost, and most still had a bounty on it. She just earned her village a large paycheck.

* * *

The merchant was more than happy to get his wares back, and she escorted him the rest of the way to River. Her mission complete; she was more than halfway home. She didn't have the extra cash to spend, so she decided to wait until she got back to Suna to buy her new clothes. She watched the sun as it set under the horizon and knew it was time to find a place to rest.

* * *

Kankuro was on watch. Unlike Temari, he currently had a genin team. They were assigned menial, D-rank missions. They, of course, referred to them as meaningless tasks, and they hated being left out of the Gaara rescue mission. That mission, of course, was far too difficult for any genin to be part of it. He was content to practice his with his puppets while he awaited his sister's return. He still found it odd how his genin were named after weapons, and he has had his team for close to seven months.

Takanaka Mori turned twelve about a month prior to graduation. He was the youngest of Kankuro's genin. He was lanky and stood above his peers. His natural dexterity made him a gifted puppet user, and he carried a two-armed Karasu tightly wrapped in white much as Kankuro once did, and he had a black battle dress to match. He had sandy brown hair offset by hazel and green eyes. He didn't wear face markings, but he did have a gold earring on his right earlobe. He was the calmest of the group, easily thinking up logical solutions and careful strategies.

Kuroda Hishu was the eldest of the three. His birthday was coming up, and he openly admitted he looked forward to an invitation to the Chunin Exam as a gift from Kankuro. He was actually the shortest of the three, but he had more muscle tone. He had dark red hair and soft green eyes, so he was often teased before Gaara was accepted for his similar appearance. As any Kuroda, a complicated facial tattoo was permanently engraved when he became a genin. It wrapped from each temple to his forehead, and a casual glance revealed only that it looked like the sun rising from the horizon. He carried two bludgeoning clubs on his back.

Tomoyuki Tsume was the girl of the squad. She wore a harsh look and was often heard scolding her teammates when they were brash…which ended up being the pot calling the kettle black. Kankuro often mentioned how she reminded him of Naruto, which she beamed at. He was the man whom many saw as saving Gaara, and therefore Suna itself. Other than her behavior, little reminded the spitfire of Konoha's blond shinobi. Her hair reflected a soft though dark blue, and her eyes were like melted chocolate, appearing pupil less. She wore a battle dress similar to Temari's, but her sash was an annoying shade of orange. She wore bright orange clubs against each forearm.

Kankuro was practicing with Tsume, and Mori sparred with Hishu. It was strictly weapons practice. They were on guard duty, so he wasn't about to have them wear themselves out with ninjutsu or genjutsu. It was also a chance for the genin to bond and learn how the others moved. They had been together for almost seven months, but they still managed to step on each others' toes.

Kankuro had his four-armed Karasu out against Tsume. She had her clubs still strapped to each forearm. The way she fought and utilized them like that made them seem like tonfa. He knew better. He was going easy on her to help build her confidence while watching for her weaknesses and openings. The Tomoyuki clan was famous for their style of combat. They were also highly regarded for their kekkei genkai. It was constantly active and said to _replace_ their eyes. They 'saw' through air pressure, so their natural enemies were Raiton or Fuuton users. They easily countered Doton and Suiton users, and were on equal ground with Katon users.

Mori and Hishu both had a crush on Tsume, so they formed an immediate, strong rivalry. They had a rough friendship; though, Tsume rattled on and on about a boy from Konoha, Naruto. Kankuro often sighed and wondered about the puppy crushes. Even in something as simple as weapon practice, they went all out. Hishu seemed to have the advantage for his muscles and bludgeoning clubs, but Mori more than made up for that with his quick thinking and lithe fingers. It didn't help that Hishu could never get close enough to Mori to deliver a decisive blow thanks to the two-armed Karasu.

Unlike his genin, Kankuro was able to keep his attention divided. He watched how all three fought. He also kept an eye out for anybody approaching Suna. He called a halt to the practice when he saw a glimmer near the horizon. He motioned his genin back to await instruction, and they quickly took cover along the craggy entrance. Kankuro scanned the vast desert before him only to breathe a sigh of relief.

He started waving his hands in anxious anticipation. His sister was almost home, and she had taken far too long on her B-rank mission. She covered the last of the distance quickly and stopped to catch her breath near him. His expression changed to worry as he looked over her. "You okay, Temari?" He looked to where she just came from to make sure nobody was tailing her.

She flashed him that winning smile of hers. "I'm just fine! It was a B-rank mission, and I killed a B-rank Iwa missing nin." Kankuro's genin were instantly impressed by that. They gathered around her to beg her to relate the fight to them. She mussed Tsume's hair. "I've gotta debrief before I can tell you guys anything, and you know that. Kazekage-sama might decide to make the mission details a secret."

The genin let out a unanimous sigh, and Temari couldn't help but giggle. Kankuro shook his head. "As long as you're all right, Gaara is expecting you. I'm sure Matsuri would like to see you, too." He gave her a warm smile.

She nodded. "Thanks. I'll get going now. I could use a long, cold shower after this mission." She disappeared through the craggy pass before the genin could get anything else out of her. They watched her go, and she slipped quietly into Suna. She was glad to be home, but she had to make a beeline to the Kazekage office and report in before she could relax and buy new battle dress.

* * *

Gaara looked up form his paperwork when the door opened. "What is it, Matsuri? I'm bu-…" He was interrupted when she stepped to the side to let Temari in. He blinked for a moment before sitting back in his chair. "I'm surprised you're late. Matsuri, close the door please." The door closed, and he offered Temari a chair. She sat, and he started the debriefing. "Was the mission a success?"

Temari nodded her head. "Yeah, but I'm worn out!" He gave her a skeptical look. "I ran across a missing nin. Iwa placed a bounty on his head." His look changed to concern. "Shoka Katsurugi, a B-rank missing nin, he was skilled with Katon and Hibou." Hibou was the name of the weapon he fought with and stole from Iwa.

He let out a thoughtful sigh as he leaned back. "That is not a good match up for you. Katon reflects and amplified Fuuton, even if the latter is stronger." He looked over her clothes again. It was obvious she didn't come out of the fight unscathed.

She giggled. "Oh, I'd say he had the advantage." She smiled at his incredulous look. "He had the advantage to the point he got overconfident and conceited. I ended it with _Senpuuki_. He never saw what hit 'im." She beamed, obviously proud of her achievement.

Gaara felt proud of her, but he still needed proof. If he was going to collect the reward from Iwa for Katsurugi's death, he needed the corpse and Hibou, or at least his head. "I trust you collected Katsurugi and Hibou to return to Iwa?" He wanted the best diplomatic terms possible in this case. He wasn't about to withhold the weapon if he had it.

Temari nodded and approached his desk with two scrolls. She left one scroll on his desk for the moment while the unrolled the other on the floor. She made the necessary hand signs and released the contents. Katsurugi's remains appeared over the scroll along with his stolen weapon. "We can send all this to Iwa. Just be sure you collect the reward. He owes me some new clothes and weapons."

Gaara nodded his head, but his attention quickly fell to the scroll on his desk. "What does this scroll hold?" He was curious, but she had to clear the corpse first. When she did, she unraveled and released the second scroll. He rose to his feet in surprise. "He didn't sell any of this? He could have made a fortune. As it is, Suna stands to gain both monetarily and politically." He knew the bounties would economically boost Suna, but the reputation from happy merchants and nobles was far more valuable.

Temari handed him a scroll with a solemn look on her face. "This is for our allies, Konoha." He took it and opened it, carefully scanning the contents. "It's information from Akatsuki to Katsurugi. It seems he was a member. Things are a lot worse than we thought. Though Konoha might know only two bijuu remain to be captured, we have to pass this along."

Gaara nodded. He considered and weighed his options. He could send it faster through a carrier bird, but that always held the chance for interception. The birds were also less capable of defending themselves. There was a higher chance for attempted interception when an envoy carried it, but it might be worth the risk. Decided, he pulled out a scroll and wrote out orders.

As he handed it to Temari, he outlined the details. "You are to take Kankuro and his team to Konoha. I'm assigning this a C-rank. I don't expect trouble, but we all know how that can turn out." She nodded. She just had the 'unexpected' trouble happen on her last mission. "I want this handled with the utmost care. Take the confiscated scrolls with you to show them."

She smirked. "Of course, Kazekage-sama. When do I leave?" She wanted to have the chance to buy new clothes and weapons before she left, but his orders took precedence.

Gaara leaned over his desk to hand her stubs to claim her pay. "It's just before afternoon now. You leave in four hours." He knew it gave her the necessary time.

Temari gratefully took the stubs and bowed with the orders. "Understood! I'll report to Kankuro to tell him what's going on." She smirked and placed a hand on her hip. "It's a good thing I get time to change. I can't show up in Konoha looking like something the cat dragged in." She giggled with a widening smile.

* * *

Temari made quick time to where Kankuro and his genin team were. He looked up in surprise as she approached and instructed his team to stop. "What's up, Temari? Thought you had to report to Gaara." He didn't miss her still well-worn clothes.

She shrugged and tossed him a scroll. "I got orders." He gave her a dubious look as he unfurled the parchment. Her usual smile flashed across her face as she cheerfully announced the news. "You're genin squad has been given its first C-rank mission!" She giggled before continuing with a hint of sarcasm. "Only took you seven months."

As predicted, Tsume spoke up before anybody could stop her. "That's not fair! We would have had one sooner, but Hishu had that family thing." She paused long enough to take a breath. "Mori had to get his Karasu repaired, and I…" She nervously fidgeted remembering the embarrassment of badly twisting her ankle during a routine…search and rescue.

Hishu scoffed. He may have liked her, but he felt a well-deserved tease was just the way to show that off. "You forget you couldn't walk for almost three months because of that ankle?" He received a dangerous look from his female teammate. Mori pinched the bridge of his nose feeling the coming headache. "If you didn't try to turn so fast to catch that ferret…"

He was cut off when she slapped him upside his head, making sure her club hit him. "Hishu you jerk!" She felt like adding insult to injury. "You're _nothing_ like Gaara-sama or Naruto-san!" She stormed away to a guard position, and, before she sat down, pulled her eyelid and stuck out her tongue. She was far from happy.

Temari and Kankuro sighed, but they watched for a moment longer to make sure the two male genin didn't start a fight. Kankuro gave his sister a displeased look. "Why did you have to start that? Now we won't be able to live with them the entire trip to Konoha."

Temari giggled. "It's fun to set them off sometimes." Her expression changed to serious. "We're carrying some valuable and possibly time-sensitive material. Gaara doesn't want to risk carrier bird, and that's unusual in itself considering its safety record." He nodded at the implication. "Plus, I can move faster on my own and am perfectly capable of defending myself."

He heaved a heavy breath. "You're wondering why he wants to send my team along with you." His statement sounded more like a question, and her smirk told him he was dead-on. He lowered his voice to avoid a certain, chocolate-eyed genin from hearing. "This mission could have to do with a certain organization or help training the 'three weapons of Suna' I've been stuck with."

She nodded. "I trust Gaara. I think he has something planned…" She paused before sighing and shaking her head. "We move out in three and a half hours. I'm going to get changed and restock. I'll meet you back here in three." He agreed, and she was off.

* * *

The first thing Temari did on the way back to her apartment was deposit her mission and bounty pay. She took just enough cash for a new wardrobe and refreshed supplies. The second thing she did was take a long, cold shower then a brisk steaming one. The final task was shopping. She bought everything she felt she needed for the mission. When she was satisfied, she made a beeline to the rendezvous point.

Kankuro and his well-stocked genin team were waiting for her when she got there. In truth, they only needed two hours to prepare and stock up, but they knew she just got back from a mission. They were actually expecting her to be a little late, but she was five minutes early. They decided to take the half-hour to plan and discuss mission details. The genin were left out of a few details, but nothing vital.

With less than ten minutes before the departure time, Matsuri ran up to them. "Oh, glad I didn't miss you." Her bright smile betrayed her jovial mood. "I won't be seeing you for a while, so I wanted to wish you good luck and safe hunting!" Her eyes fell on the young genin, and she felt her heart swell with pride.

Mori, Hishu, and Tsume stood a little taller before Kankuro decided to deflate their egos. He couldn't let them get overconfident. "We're moving through Wind, River, and Fire. The terrain is vastly different between each of these lands. Matsuri is right; we won't see Suna for at least a few weeks." The genin felt their shoulders slump. They were looking forward to the mission, but they felt homesickness setting in.

Matsuri sighed. "Now why'd you have to do that?" She eyed Kankuro in disbelief, but she shook her head and sighed. "Oh well, you just bring these kids back in one piece." She gently hugged her brother-in-law, and he patted her back in return. Her next words were whispered directly into his ear. "Gaara's afraid for Naruto. He's one of the two remaining. Akatsuki may be planning their next move."

Tsume suddenly looked into the distance. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Her eyes were focused on one spot. "Uh… Kankuro-sensei, something's coming this way." She paused for a moment. He might need an explanation as her ability to sense chakra, though partially tied to her kekkei genkai, wasn't as strong as his. "…something big. It's still past the horizon."

Six pairs of eyes focused on the horizon. Sure enough, something big was moving their way. Whatever it was, it was kicking up a large cloud of sand. It was also moving fast. Within seconds, the shapes could be made out. Tsume focused her senses as much as she could. "It feels like…people…riding cylinders." She seemed to question herself. "I don't think most of them can mold chakra." Her face scrunched in uncertainty.

Kankuro nodded, and the elder shinobi directed the young genin behind them. The unknown figures finally came into view. Just as Tsume noted, there was a large number of men riding on…cylindrical objects. The objects couldn't be identified even as the men, quickly identified as bandits led by a single missing nin, came to a stop not far from the craggy pass of Suna.

Temari groaned as the lone shinobi of the group hopped off his…ride and approached the three elder shinobi. He seemed to completely ignore the genin. He was Katsurugi's older brother and partner, Shoka Keita. He gave the girls a lecherous glare before addressing the three before him. "I'm here to collect my idiot brother's Hibou and the rest of our treasure. His carcass is enough to collect Iwa's bounty." There was no love in his words, and he spoke with a certain air of nobility.

To the surprise of the gathered sand nin, it was Matsuri to contest the high B-rank criminal's proclamation. "Kazekage-sama isn't about to start an international incident because of that toy." She smirked when Keita growled at the thought of Hibou being called a toy. Her smirk broadened when he started molding chakra. He was easy to egg on. "He will be giving Iwa what it wants. Earth will have its treasure back and at least one less troublemaker to worry about."

Her implication was obvious, and he wasn't about to take it. "Don't be dumb, girl. I'm not afraid of your pitiful Kazekage. He's no jinchuuriki anymore." She looked like a vein was ready to pop, and it was his turn to smirk now. "He's powerless and worthless. Akatsuki abandoned his carcass, but…" He paused in consideration. "…we were curious how he escaped the shackles of death.

Matsuri wore a murderous glower as she listened to Keita. It was doubtful anybody in Suna missed the killer intent rolling off her in waves. She turned towards her in-laws with the sweetest smile she could manage. They were instantly taken aback. "Temari-chan… Kankuro-chan…" She started even as she reigned in her emotions. "Would you mind protecting the precious students? This won't be long."

The two slowly nodded before hurrying over to Kankuro's genin, who already had taken cover. They silently agreed to step in just in case Matsuri needed help. They held no doubt in their mind she would be fine. They're eyes widened, however, when they felt a familiar presence walking towards them. They looked up to see that silhouette with a massive gourd strapped to his back.

Keita was so focused on Matsuri he missed the ominous, approaching presence. He gave her an appraising, if lecherous, look. She took the moment to size him up. It was obvious he had more combat experience than his younger brother. He liked to show off his muscles, to the point he looked like a bad martial artist showing off. He was a bit taller and darker, but his hair and eyes were the same. He had some scars up and down his right arm, and the left side of his face was disfigured from old injuries.

His next words came as no surprise. "Come on, baby…" He seemed to lose that noble manner of speech. "If you give up now, I'll even let'cha join my crew 'ere." He chuckled. "I can offer so much more than this puny village. You're skills probably aren't even recognize here. What's your rank here, anyway?"

Temari and Kankuro were fighting back two things. They wanted to laugh until their guts split at how stupid this guy was. They wanted to lynch him for his grievous insults. They knew what fate awaited him, so they stood back and decided just to watch. When asked by Tsume, Hishu, or Mori, a silent request to remain silent was all that was made.

Matsuri was impressed Keita was still molding his chakra. He was either preparing something big or attempting to intimidate. Either way, she was not impressed. She tilted her head as a genuine smile overtook her face. She was remembering the day she made chunin. "Ask any within Suna, and I am a proud chunin." Keita pressed his lips and let out half a whistle only to nearly choke as she continued. "I've been offered the chance to become jonin, but I've refused."

She watched the near instantaneous change in his demeanor. She knew she struck a nerve. She read his Bingo Book entry. He was an accomplished chunin within Iwa, and he made several requests for advancement. Like his brother, the reasons indicated he simply did not have the qualifications. The allure of Akatsuki led him to betray the village along with his brother. Katsurugi stole Hibou, and Keita stole the weapon he finally withdrew.

The bandits all took a step back once Keita held Yuuan. It was a weapon by and far more powerful than Hibou. Iwa, like any village, held many treasures. Hibou was often wielded by the strongest Katon user in the village. Yuuan was reserved for the second in command of the ANBU forces. It was a wakizashi with dusk-colored blade and grip wrapped in worn, blood-colored leather. Other than color, it looked fairly ordinary.

Matsuri, Temari, and Kankuro weren't fooled for a second. Matsuri took a long familiar stance in Suna. Her legs spread to shoulder length as she crossed her arms over her chest. Though she leaked of bloodlust, her appearance was of disinterest. To those who knew her, she was taking this fight _very_ seriously. As the breeze picked up, Temari and Kankuro prepared themselves to shield the young genin. A figure watched from the shadows.

Keita bellowed his disgust. "Don't take me lightly girl!" He threw his sheath to the ground and arched Yuuan back. He focused chakra into the blade, and flames erupted from the guard and hilt. He threw his arm forward with all the grace of an ape. "_Katon: Sanrinho no Jutsu_!" As when his brother used it, flames flicked forward then seemed to backlash. In a split second, the flames formed into three wheels which raced forward.

Matsuri barely narrowed her eyes, and a wall of sand erupted between her and _Sanrinho_. The wheels dissipated as they struck the barrier. She sensed another coming, so she left it up. It gave her an extra few seconds to think out a strategy, and she could sense where everybody was anyway. Then she heard something she didn't expect.

A very effeminate voice called out just before the second _Sanrinho_ struck the wall of sand. "_Fuuton: Aoru_." The voice was surprisingly calm, but the true surprise was that there didn't appear to be any females among the bandits. _Aoru_ was a weak technique, but it had the desired effect. It strengthened _Sanrinho_ enough that it extended over the barrier and continued to head for Matsuri.

She watched the approaching, amplified flame wheels with mild interest. _"Based on what Temari told Gaara, Keita devises better tactics and strategies than Katsurugi. He hid somebody who could mold chakra among his subordinates, and he made sure to come at us en masse."_ She didn't want to resort to her secondary element, so she forced a second barrier to appear. The enhanced flame wheels dissipated.

Keita reared his head back in self-righteous laughter. _"If that's all this girly can do, I've got this one in the bag. I can take her hostage and get Hibou back."_ He paused in his thoughts for a moment. _"I can't believe Yuuan's considered stronger. I can't even find an agreeable element for this stupid thing."_ His smirk broadened as he noticed the sand walls fall back to the desert floor. "You think a pitiful Doton user like you can beat me?" He scoffed. "Get real! All the sand in this desert wouldn't be enough to save you!"

She felt a slight strain on her chakra, but his was dropping faster than hers. She was forced to admit how strong he was. He probably _almost_ qualified for an A-rank in the Bingo book. With a barely noticeable flick of her forefinger, a wave of sand raced towards him. She only wanted to test reactions.

Matsuri stifled a giggle when her prediction became true. "_Fuuton: Oshi_." The calm, effeminate voice rang out again, and she was able to locate it. She almost fell face first into the desert sand when she saw the…man. She had to question that one. He looked like an actor, or something, from a play with all the face paint and silk kimono. His slender fingers held a fan which flapped rapidly to cool him. The distraction, not _Oshi_, caused her attack to falter.

Keita misread the dispersed attack and rapidly proceeded through hand signs. Matsuri noticed and started molding chakra. He seemed overly confident at his victory. _"Even if Yuuan won't accept this chakra properly, I'm sure to take victory!"_ He finished and took a stance Temari was familiar with. It looked odd with a sword instead of a pole. "Game over, girl. _Katon: Soudai Horeiki no Jutsu_!" Gaara tensed as flames headed towards his wife.

* * *

For anybody who hasn't read it, this story is a sequel to my other _Naruto_ fan-fiction, _School Daze_. I recommend reading it before reading anything after this Prologue.

For anybody who has read it, this story will be more than twice as long per chapter (approximately 8,000 words) and will be released once every two weeks instead (unless my schedule becomes obstructed).

Now to answer some questions which will obviously come up. Matsuri is the girl kidnapped to draw Gaara out in the episodes 217 through 220 of the original _Naruto_ anime series. I always thought Gaara/Matsuri made a cute couple, so I accept no complaints about the pairing. They are also not too young to be married. I'm basing this decision on the fact I've seen many feudal-type laws in effect during the anime/manga. Plus, he's the Kazekage and likely expected to sire an heir. I'll let my readers guess what those thoughts may mean as future chapters unfold. Also...you try living three years without so much as being able to touch somebody who's trying to teach you love, love you in return, and slowly but surely you fall in love with. Yeah, got'cha there.

I'm quite proud of my fight scene between Temari and Katsurugi. It's sad to see an original character go so quickly, but he's more useful dead than alive. He didn't even offer up a decent challenge. Go for being conceited and arrogant, neh? I promised better fight scenes in my last fiction, so I hope I delivered here. Matsuri versus Keita coming up!

Before I forget... If anybody knows a better site than freedict to come up with jutsu names, it would be much appreciated. I haven't used any cannon moves yet, but I promise I will when appropriate.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,020  
Story Page Count: 16

**Jutsu:**

_Katon: Sanrinho no Jutsu_ - Fire Release: Three Flame Wheel Technique: A mid to high level fire technique, _Sanrinho_ creates three rings of fire which travel rapidly towards the target. They require a weapon to 'fan' them into creation because the heat they create is too intense for chakra to be collected in the lungs then expelled.

_Katon: Hidama Mugoi no Jutsu_ - Fire Release: Merciless Fireball Technique: A mid to high level fire technique, _Hidama Mugoi_ is designed to flesh out enemy combatants. It coves a wide field with flames. Though it requires a lot of chakra, the actual damage it can cause is minimal.

_Katon: Soudai Horeiki no Jutsu_ - Fire Release: Grand Fire Aura Technique: A high level fire technique, _Soudai Horeiki_ takes a lot of chakra to use. The user is surrounded by an aura of flames which rapidly expands outward. It requires both breath and a weapon to use effectively. The chakra-laced breath first creates the aura while the weapon's rotation fans and continues to feed the flames the required chakra.

_Raiton: Senpuuki_ - Lighting Release: Electric Fan: A high level lightning technique, _Senpuuki_ requires a lot of set up. It takes six or eight kunai thrown in a pattern resembling a fan. The wires must all be touching and converge at a common point. They don't have to start there. The kunai are often used to both distract and set up for the technique. Though electricity fills the area to effectively electrocute the victim(s), a skilled user will wait until the victim(s) touch the wire.

_Fuuton: Aoru_ - Wind Release: Agitate: A very low level wind technique, _Aoru_ is mostly made up of a pushing wind. There are wind sickles within for damaging, but stopping power is minimal.

_Fuuton: Oshi_ - Wind Release: Push: A very low level wind technique, _Oshi_ is a defensive technique using wind to push much stronger attacks out of the way.


	2. Chapter 1: Future March

TimeShifter: It is, indeed, a sequel. I'm just very sneaky! Sorry about the confusion. Because I ran out of space, I couldn't write what I wanted which was Violence and Suggestive Themes. Instead, I used the television equivalents. AC is Adult Content, and V is violence.

* * *

**Chapter 1:  
Future March  
**

The week after, unbeknownst to the denizens of Konoha, Sasuke left went quickly. Because they were unable to identify the technique used on three leaf nin plus Sasame, they were left off active duty and under watch for the week. Though the week passed quickly, it was far from uneventful.

Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Sasame were all victims of Sasuke's _Tenganyume_. They spent the week given by Tsunade to train. On the first day, it was just the four of them. They found out, however, that Naruto's energy required additional resources. They felt they needed to train his chakra control and fighting techniques as much as possible, so the enlisted the help of Neji, Tenten, and Lee.

When they came, Neji somehow convinced Naruto to wear and _promise_ to continue wearing his new, less atrocious battle dress. It was a boon to everyone's eyes. Now they just needed to fix Lee's…choice of clothing. They decided to stick with the doable. Hinata was relieved to find Naruto's rapid advancement. With so many people, he never lacked partner to train with.

On the third day, Kakashi and Yamato found the teens practicing. They joined in to help all, not just Naruto. They gave lessons on elemental manipulation. The first thing they did was find each individual's natural affinity. They already started teaching Naruto, so they knew him to be a combination Fuuton and Suiton wielder.

To nobody's surprise, Sakura was a combination Katon and Raiton wielder. They found that generally a personality matched an affinity. Sakura was fiery and unpredictable. Hinata was flexible and steadfast, so nobody was too startled to find her suited to Suiton and Doton. Sasame was unpredictable and unruly, so they were welcoming to a Raiton and Fuuton wielder.

Neji was hesitant to find his elemental affinity, but his determination and strength made him a welcome addition Doton and Fuuton. Tenten followed his lead, eager to see her natural affinity. Her face crinkled at the idea of Raiton and Suiton. She wondered if flexible and unpredictable was an oxymoron. Lee, of course, was left out, but most agreed he was probably Doton and Katon because he was headstrong and determined.

Later, Kiba and Shino joined their 'little' training group. The contradiction that was Kiba found he was a natural for Raiton and Doton. Shino wondered at being somewhat opposite Hinata with Doton and Suiton as his natural affinity. It was no surprise that each had two affinities, for how strong they were. Kakashi held no doubts each of them could probably learn techniques from three or four chakra elements.

The week was fruitful to their efforts. They learned a lot. If it weren't for a mission, Naruto was sure team Ino-Shika-Cho would have joined them. However, near the end of the week was when details of that mission were revealed. The morning of the sixth day, Sakura never showed up. When Kakashi and Yamato finally showed, any jovial mood instantly died.

Naruto was called to see Tsunade, and he had no idea why Gamabunta and other toads were at the Hokage's tower. He soon found out… Jiraiya was dead, and his world shattered. The rest of the miserable day was spent alone; though, several people tried to shake him from his funk.

By the end of the next day, he came around, helped solve the riddle Jiraiya left behind, and was offered the Toad Sage training. Before any answer could be given, Tsunade had one last thing to relate. She dismissed everybody but the toad sage, Shizune, Kakashi, Sakura, and, of course, Naruto.

When the door closed behind Yamato, Tsunade sighed heavily and opened a drawer to her right. She reached in and quickly produced a scroll. It was the scroll Jiraiya left her to give Naruto if his death was confirmed by the toad sage. She carefully looked at the blond genin, worried he might still hold a grudge against her. "Naruto, Jiraiya left this for you. He said for me to deliver it…if he died."

Naruto looked down at the mention of his tutor dieing. Though a pervert, he became one of his precious people. He, however, understood Tsunade did what she had to do. He had to be truthful to himself. Jiraiya probably insisted on the mission. "What is it?"

Tsunade wore a relieved smile. There was no malice in his voice. "I'm not exactly sure, but he said it had to do with the Kyuubi's seal." Even with the windows closed, it felt like a cold wind tumbled through the room. She locked eyes with Naruto. "He said it is needed to complete it."

Naruto's eyes went wide and fell to the floor. He gripped his hands into tight fists as he looked to the ground. He was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth and closed it again. He carefully looked up and released his fists. "He always said he didn't know what effect that would have."

She carefully stood up and walked across the room to him. After a moment, she handed him the scroll, and he solemnly took it. She took a deep breath to consider things. "Naruto, he said you would know what to do with it."

The toad sage looked from Tsunade to the scroll to Naruto and back to the scroll. He felt the immense chakra even while contained by the seal. It was similar to the chakra in the boy, but he knew nobody else felt it. He didn't know what Jiraiya planned, but it seemed that 'completing' the seal meant giving the Kyuubi his full power.

Naruto unfurled the scroll to look at the intricate seal. He blinked as he watched the center. There was a circle with jagged bars inside it, like a cage. He hardly believed his eyes. The seal seemed to be alive. Moving within the circle and behind the bars was a gingitsune. It was two-dimensional, like one of Sai's paintings, but it paced behind the bars like any kitsune in a prison.

His eyes glazed over. He felt compelled to place his hands over to moving seal, so he did. Before anybody realized what was happening, three chakra signatures blazed around him. His blue chakra was joined by the red chakra of Kyuubi and white one emanating from the scroll. The fact that they could _see_ all the chakra startled and frightened them.

Kakashi rushed to pull the scroll away from Naruto, but he was pushed back by an unseen force. Shaking the cobwebs from his head, he stood and revealed his Sharingan. He only stood there, dumbstruck, at what he saw. The chakra wasn't just surrounding Naruto. It was converging on the seal over his naval. The white and red chakra were mixing, or struggling to mix, as the blue chakra fought to maintain a rough balance.

He didn't have long to marvel at what was going on. He quickly saw the results. The Sharingan was able to read chakra and predict what was going to happen. He quickly processed the information his eye was feeding his brain and called out the only thing he could. "Get down!"

Of course, it was also guessed he meant to get cover. Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura ducked right along with Kakashi. They found cover and added extra protection with chakra. The toad sage merely watched on as the expected happened. The white and red chakra collided into one, final form. He was the only one to see the splash of color, and he watched for a moment longer to see the blue chakra take full control.

The toad sage hopped off his perch and made his way to Naruto. The boy was already wavering as he dropped the scroll. The toad sage caught it and looked over its remaining contents. He knew what it was holding was now gone, but he wanted to read the seal. His lips twisted into a smirk as he rolled up the scroll and signed. The scroll disappeared to his house in a plume of smoke.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out as she lunged for her teammate. His eyes fluttered closed, and he fell forward. She caught him before he hit the ground and gently laid him down. She looked worriedly to Tsunade. "What happened to him?"

Tsunade wore a frown. She looked at the toad sage as he hopped back onto his perch. She sighed before shaking her head and giving Sakura a shrug. "I have no idea. I'm no expert with seals." She wanted to know as much as anybody else.

Kakashi cleared his throat as he leaned against a wall. "I have an idea." He felt a nervous bead of sweat as all eyes were on him. "The scroll seemed to hold a portion of the Kyuubi's chakra; though, I didn't feel the malevolence I was expecting." He rubbed his chin for a moment in thought. "It also seemed to hold something for the seal… I couldn't make it out, but it looked like extra words."

The toad sage slowly closed his eyes and considered what to say. The room was silent with Kakashi's revelation, but the moment wouldn't last long. "It's been a long day." He felt somewhat contemptuous glares fall on him. He wasn't surprised. His tone betrayed no concern. "I think it best to get the boy someplace to rest. I'll retrieve him in a few days for the training."

Before Tsunade could say anything, the toad sage disappeared from whence he came. She shook her head. "All right, you heard him. Get the knucklehead back to his apartment." Kakashi went to pick him up, but she stopped him. "Not you! I need you to get one of the chunin on guard duty."

* * *

Naruto moaned as his head started to clear. He had no idea Sakura was carrying him back to his apartment. He stood and looked around. He was in the dimly lit, dank sewer that, for some reason, constituted his mind. He noticed the light was moving and looked up to see a ceiling lamp swaying back and forth. "When did this place get lighting?"

He heard a loud, familiar roar coming from the back of his…mind. He blinked a few times and took off running. He needed to know what that kitsune was up to! As he rounded the last corner, he swore he heard Kyuubi rolling around in pain. He confirmed his suspicions when he saw the bijuu clutching his ears with his massive paws.

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto was surprised to find concern on his voice. He looked up to the seal parchment. He always thought the piece of paper looked too thin to keep anything from opening the massive gate, let alone a mighty demon.

Kyuubi's eyes shot open, and he gave Naruto an icy glower. "Kit! What did you do?" His lips twitched as he fought back another bout of pain, but he soon reared back his head and let out a howl. Whatever was wrong, Kyuubi was in intense pain. After several seconds, the howl died. He looked to his side of the cage. "Why does the seal say 'judgment' now?!"

Naruto blinked in utter confusion. "Huh?!" He looked to the parchment on his side again. It said the same thing it always did. _"The Kyuubi must be going insane. Hey! Maybe the completed seal dims his mind!"_ He felt hope well up, and he decided to answer in dopey confusion. "It says the same thing over here. Maybe you're just stupid."

Kyuubi felt rage, and he opened his eyes to glare at his warden. However, his eyes widened in pain before his glare could have the desired effect. He bellowed in pain and hit his head against the gate. Naruto was starting to look worried. "Hey… I know we never got along, but, seriously, are you okay?"

An unfamiliar voice rang throughout the dank sewers. "Kyuubi no Kitsune, you stand trial now before my completed seal." Naruto looked around for the source of the voice, but he found nothing. "You attacked Konoha, killing shinobi and civilian alike. The final seal is that of judgment. Your memories will be your salvation or condemnation. Reveal yourself to the seal in human form!"

Kyuubi shook with another tremor of pain, but he forced himself onto all fours. He closed his eyes in concentration, and his kitsune form soon started melting. In a few, short seconds, a red-headed man was standing behind the prison bars with silver ears and nine tails. "My…memories…?"

Naruto was extremely confused. He swung his arms in open defiance as he called to the unseen voice. "Hey! What's going on here! I think I have enough 'voices' in my head without somebody too cowardly to show themselves!"

"Silence, kit!" Kyuubi barked out, surprising Naruto. "I recommend a show of respect for the man who sealed me. He was, after all, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha." He bowed his head slightly, but it was hard to tell if it was from respect, fear, or rage. "He defeated me by sealing me into a newborn with an undeveloped chakra system. I'm…starting to remember…"

The unfamiliar voice called out again. "Naruto, I cannot show myself because I no longer exist on this plane. This final seal only carries out my wishes. My wishes are for you to be seen as a hero and see into the heart of Kyuubi no Kitsune. Now, answer for your crimes."

Kyuubi opened his mouth with a snarl, but he found no words. As his the rest of his memories filled his spirit, he wondered at many things. _"Why did I only feel hatred before? I hated the Uchiha and Orochimaru. I never knew what exactly I felt for Naruto, and I was conflicted on Konoha…"_ He found himself questioning a lot of his experiences.

The incorporeal voice addressed the unspoken questions without hesitation. "I could only seal roughly half of each your power and memories within Naruto. I intended for the less malicious to reside within him, but I failed. Now, why did you attack Konoha?" There was a slight hesitation like another question was about to be asked.

"I…" Kyuubi stopped himself. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "My family was killed…a human woman…" He paused and opened his eyes in realization. "…your wife!" The fog surrounding his memories was lifting, and he could clearly the last moments before Namikaze Minato sealed him. He hung his head.

Naruto tilted his head. "Do you mean you killed the Fourth Hokage's wife?" He was curious, and he was pained once again remembering he held a creature responsible for tearing so many families apart.

"No!" Kyuubi barked with anger at the very thought. "Orochimaru and an Uchiha killed her! I sought revenge against Konoha because that snake wore a leaf hitai-ate!" He was visibly shaking. His fists were clenched tight, and his clawed fingers drew blood. "Orochimaru…took everything! She was to give birth, and he killed her and the child with the help of an Uchiha!"

Naruto was taken aback, and he was about to say something before the incorporeal voice spoke again. "She might have survived if you hadn't killed my student as she tried to save her." Kyuubi looked away, possibly ashamed. "Rin could have saved her."

Kyuubi scoffed. "You expected me to _trust_ her?! I smelled the stink of Uchiha on her, and I felt an Uchiha extract me!" He shook as he tried to rein his anger. "Then you name this kit after…" He couldn't continue as he turned around. "I don't care any more! I'm sick of this prison. Do whatever you want, shatter my soul for all I care."

The incorporeal voice rang out after a moment's silence. "You don't seem to understand. I made this seal in order to create the original arrangements you held with Whirlpool and the Uzumaki clan. I just couldn't replicate their unison seal."

Naruto was struck silent, but Kyuubi still had a few things to say. "I have no interest in what you have to say. I was loyal to Uzumaki Kushina, and I attacked in rage over her loss…and the loss of her precious kit. After that Uchiha stink, I was tempted to eat you for betraying her!"

The incorporeal voice sighed. "After all these years, you don't recognize the chakra? What I'm about to say makes it impossible to hide the truth from Naruto, but Rin managed to save the precious kit you speak of. Because I didn't want to betray her memory or the Uzumaki, I sealed you in the child she gave her life for."

Kyuubi lurched forward and grasped the nearest bars. He could almost see the man who sealed him inside Naruto all those years ago. "You can't… He couldn't have survived the trauma!" There was a long silence. "Answer me!"

"He might not have." Kyuubi growled at the answer. "If Rin weren't there, he definitely would not have. She smiled as she handed me the child. She said, 'I did it. Naruto's safe.' You never even recognized the name?" The voice sighed. "No… That part of your memory was probably sealed in the scroll, too."

Naruto fell to his knees. "You mean… Kyuubi, the hated demon, attacked the village for a reason? He attacked because of Orochimaru?" He blinked as tears filled his eyes. "He ruined so many lives! I never even got to meet my parents because of that snake!" He shook with rage.

The voice spoke out again. "I'm almost out of time. It will take the rest of the day and all night for your body to adjust to the new chakra. Kyuubi no Kitsune has been returned to his former stature, and the seal of judgment has not shattered his soul. Take heed Naruto, you have many lessons yet to learn. Know your parents loved you and everything has been done for your and Konoha's benefit."

There was an unnerving silence, and Kyuubi bellowed in the pain of sorrow. After a moment, he closed his eyes and turned his back on Naruto. "I am not pure evil. I am more like humans than I'm given credit. I can never repent for what I did, but I fought believing my family was betrayed. My mistake was that I never stopped to ask questions and let rage take me."

Kyuubi disappeared into the darkness of the cage, and Naruto found himself too weak to follow up with his questions. His eyes felt like lead, and he swayed back and forth before falling backward into the half-inch deep water. He fully lost consciousness.

* * *

Kakashi was at a loss for words as the red-headed kunoichi at the gates spotted him and stopped arguing with the guards on duty. She quickly launched into a flying kick which sent the copy nin flying. The guards were flabbergasted, but they quickly recovered. They drew kunai and lunged for the kunoichi…only to be stopped by Kakashi.

They looked confused, and the kunoichi sauntered up to Kakashi and the two guards. She eyed him warily before throwing her arms up in the air, and the 'Kakashi' sprawled out behind her disappeared with a plume of smoke and the sound of displaced air. She threw her hair over her shoulder before pointing an accusing finger at Kakashi. "You have a lot of nerve!"

The guards gave her a glower, but Kakashi actually…_hid_ behind them. He carefully placed his little, orange book in the relative safety of his vest. "Sorry 'bout that Kanaeru-chan. I didn't know you were coming." His eye curved to show his smile. He released the guards and ushered them back to their post. "Don't worry, I'll watch her."

They eyed him skeptically, but he outranked them. One pointed to an armored figure standing just outside the gate. "What about that one?" They waited for the jonin to respond.

Kakashi looked at Kanaeru in disbelief. "You brought a kousotsu?" At the mention of his honorary title, the armored individual looked up. He was unnerving because nobody present could feel his chakra. A fleck of light darted from one side of the stranger to the other.

She rolled her eyes as she approached the guards again. "As I was _trying_ to tell them, he's just a servant. I need him to accompany me, and I came here on important business." She gave the guards a cold glare. "I need to see the Hokage! The old man owes me an explanation!"

Kakashi scratched his cheek. _"That's right… Sarutobi said something about writing to Kanaeru…"_ He sighed as he straightened up and shrugged in defeat. "I'll vouch for both of them. I'll even take them to Hokage-sama, so you two stay on duty. By the way…" He turned to her. "…what's his name?"

She carefully pointed a finger directly into his chest. "No ulterior motives. I'm a respected sumitsuki." She backed up from him and looked to the armored man and waved him in. "His name is Gayt. He's the last surviving member of his country. Don't know what his real name is, but what he calls himself means 'eternal warrior' in his tongue."

Gayt approached Kanaeru and Kakashi. He gently bowed to each of them in turn; though, his bow to Kanaeru was more pronounced. He noticed something very odd about Gayt quickly, despite having no detectable chakra. He could see bandages protruding from the armor, and he only saw one eye underneath the thick helmet. The rest of his face was covered in the same bandages which seemed to wrap the rest of his body.

Kakashi took a step back and decided to appraise the two. Kanaeru he hadn't seen since she was prepubescent, so she changed a lot. She still had barely discernable freckles along her cheeks and nose. Her hair was long and brilliant red, and she had two hair pins to hold her locks over her right ear. She had piercing green eyes. She stood a head shorter than Kakashi and was easier lighter and lither than him. She wore a velvet, sleeveless dress cut off at mid-thigh. A wide slit ran up to her hips, and she wore mesh, skin-tight pants underneath. Her right arm was wrapped lightly in chains.

Gayt was another story. It was hard to tell anything about him through his armor. With it, he stood two heads taller than Kakashi. The armor was intricate, and it looked to have been made by a master craftsman. His eyes and hair were dark, but nothing more could be said. There was also the matter of a strange fleck of light which seemed to either dart around his form or rest atop his shoulder.

As Kakashi turned to lead, he saw the one sight he dreaded most to see. At least he dreaded it most with the circumstances. Lee was jogging along the inner wall of Konoha straight for them. In a vain attempt to keep Kanaeru from noticing, he moved behind her and Gayt and started pushing them along. She leveled her eyes to chew him out when she saw the green spandex.

Kakashi nearly fell over when Kanaeru bolted towards Gai's youthful clone. It was too late. Lee stopped when the red-headed kunoichi obstructed his path. Being polite, he stood at attention to address her. Having a thing for any red locks, a blush took his face. "Yosh! If it is not impolite by my asking, could you kindly move, so I may continue my youthful morning exercises. I would also not mind if you would like to join me."

Gayt raised a hidden eyebrow and looked over his shoulder. He wondered why Kakashi was hiding behind him. The explosion of sound and dirt answered the unasked question. Kanaeru's fist was firmly planted where Lee stood not a split second ago. His mouth was agape as he twisted in midair to retaliate. He marveled at her form as she moved gracefully from ferocious punch to a reverse, back flip kick.

Lee flew backward, but he wasn't out of control. He struck his legs against the ground and brought himself to a skidding halt. He rubbed the bruise on his cheek. She was _strong_. "I-I'm sorry if I offended! I did not mean to. I must have said too much in my youthful exuberance! If there is anything I could do to apologize…" He was cut off as another fist nearly connected with his jaw, and he just barely dodged that. He didn't know who she was, but she was faster than him.

Kakashi curled his hand around his mouth to act as a microphone. Though he acted like he was yelling, he still had that lazy drawl. "Lee, I'd recommend removing your weights and running away as fast as you can." The spandex clone looked at him confused.

Kanaeru gave him a furious glower. "You think a little weight is going to help!" Unlike other opponents Lee had in the past, she already knew exactly how much he wore just through the small exchange.

Kakashi looked to be in careful thought even as Lee followed his advice. "On second thought, you better remove those weights, open as many gates as you can, and run for your life." If possible, Lee's eyes actually widened in surprise.

Kanaeru's rage grew further and she released a feral growl. "He could open all eight for all I care, and it wouldn't be enough!" Lee was already a speck in the distance with a trail of dust.

Kakashi only grinned. "Oh, it's enough if you keep blabbering away with me." His eyes went wide as he recognized the glint in her eyes and curl to her lips. "You wouldn't…" She showed no hesitation in turning in the direction Lee went and preparing herself for a sprint. His jaw dropped. _"She would…"_

With a sigh, he pushed a hidden switch, turned the volume to the minimal setting, and dialed his radio to the frequency he knew his self-proclaimed 'eternal rival' would be on. He stifled a growl before he coolly addressed Gai. "Hey, Gai, I recommend rushing over here before your precious student gets himself killed."

He felt like ripping the earpiece away as the self-proclaimed 'green beast' somehow managed to bring his voice well above tolerable levels. Gai let out a long laugh before answering. "Let me get this straight. You think some punk ninja who picked a fight with my precious student, Lee, has any chance of beating him. I dare this fool to try. Lee's youthful…"

Kakashi wondered if Gai knew what 'restraint' meant. He depressed the switch for his next chance to speak as Kanaeru sauntered over. Her grin widened to bear her canines. "Did I hear you say Gai? …as in Maito Gai?"

Kakashi noticed dead air, and he released the switch. After another second, he heard the telltale hiss of somebody on the other end depressing transmission switch. Gai nervously spoke. "I'll be right there…" Lee was spared…for the time being.

If there was anything positive to say for Gai, he was punctual and true to his word. In record time, he ran from his 'private' training grounds to the gate where Kakashi, Kanaeru, and Gayt still were. A quick glance to the chunin on guard duty was enough to confirm their fear and confusion. There were a tense few moments as Kanaeru cracked her knuckles.

Gai nervously approached the red-headed kunoichi. He nervously rubbed his hands in front of his chest and bowed his head. "Ka-Kanae-chan… It's been too long, how've you be-…" He was interrupted when a sword nestled snugly at the crook of his neck. Gaia and Kakashi were frozen for similar reasons. If it were just a sword resting dangerously near beheading the green jonin, nobody would bat an eye. The problem was that Gayt moved faster than either could follow.

The fleck of blue light hovered over his shoulder, and his lone, visible eye focused on Gai's nervously down turned orbs. "I recommend Kanaeru-sama or Kanaeru-ojou. I can accept Kanaeru-chan or simply ojou-sama. However, you _will_ show her your utmost respect." Gai carefully nodded, and Gayt backed way still clutching his sword.

Gai carefully shifted his stance. He knew better than to take an offensive front, but he was more than willing to run at a moment's notice. He wore his goofy grin before addressing Kanaeru again. "I see the kousotsu are as well trained as ever. I applaud the youthful selection…"

"Tell me why I shouldn't beat you to a bloody pulp right here and now." She knew better than to let him continue on unabated. The fire in her eyes told just how much she hated his 'youthful' speeches.

He coughed into his hand. "Look, I meant to apologize all those years ago. You left the village in such a huff I never had the chance to…" She moved so fast he never saw her. He only felt what happened, and only barely. The first was a fist to his jaw stopping just short of breaking it. The blow to his gut was much worse, and he felt his stomach churn. Only years of experience prevented him from…displaying his lunch.

Kanaeru stood over his limp form rubbing her hand in a mock gesture of cracking her knuckles. She wasn't sore from hitting him as hard as she did. "I'm not in a 'forgiving' mood. You _don't_ grope an Uzumaki and expect to get away with it."

Kakashi's face dropped, and he rubbed it in his palm. _"I was _hoping_ to avoid getting the family name out…"_ He paused for a moment. _"Nah, scratch that. Her resemblance to her sister is too uncanny to go unnoticed. Somebody was going to notice regardless."_ His thoughts were interrupted when Gai rolled over to kneel before Kanaeru.

On his hands and knees, he bowed his head all the way to the ground. "I promise, Kanaeru-ojou, I have changed since then." His tone was a rare quality of serious. He felt he had to be careful with his words, so he restrained his usual boisterous speech. "What I did when last we met was completely unacceptable. I accept full blame. Please do not take out your anger on my precious student."

She couldn't help it. "Pfft!" She half-chuckled right into her fist. She wanted to see Gai humbled for once. She waved her hand, done with his formal apologies. "I wasn't gonna hurt the boy." Gai warily stood as she continued. "I just didn't think they would allow you to reproduce, and certainly not clone!"

"Rock Lee is my precious student." Talking about his student, he was less bashful. "He is full of exuberant youth, and he fights for his dreams. I have instilled in him all my youthful lessons, and his youthful spirit shines above others. He is a genius of hard work, and…" Obviously, talking that way was a mistake. …or he said too much. He was sprawled out twenty feet away with smoke rising from the top of his head. He twitched to show he was still alive.

A very proud Kanaeru exaggeratedly clapped her hands in front of herself to clear the dust. "Well, that's all taken care of! Let's go see the old man!" Kakashi and the chunin could only stand there with their mouths agape. Blackmail!

* * *

Kakashi was nervous as he walked the streets of Konoha with Uzumaki Kanaeru and her kousotsu, Gayt. He hoped he didn't bump into anybody who recognized her. He didn't feel like explaining anything. He stifled a sigh and crushed any thoughts of pulling out his little, orange book. _"No, that's not it. It was hard enough believing that the Uzumaki clan was probably wiped out if somebody was brazen enough to go after Kushina…"_

Fortunately, he didn't have any awkward run-ins on his way to the Hokage mansion. He looked up as he searched the building for the familiar chakra. Kanaeru didn't seem impressed. "I don't sense 'im." She sounded really impatient when her speech slipped. "You sure'e's in there?"

Kakashi rubbed his cheek. He never did tell her. He turned to her only to be surprised. She was leaking red chakra, and single tail protruded from behind her. She squatted slightly and took aim at the window with the strongest chakra. He rolled his visible eye. _"Of course she'd do that…"_ She catapulted herself straight to the Hokage's office. Kakashi politely turned to Gayt. "Care to take the stairs?"

* * *

Tsunade leaned back. "You sure about this Hiashi?" The stoic man only nodded. "I can't say I agree with you, but I suppose a promise is a promise. The timeframe for the mission is over. The primary objective of defending the targets was a success, but the secondary objective of capturing the perpetrators was an utter failure. As such, I'm tempted to not take the full payment."

Hiashi wore a small grin. He knew what she was doing. He had no desire for pleasantries at the moment. "Please, Tsunade-hime, I give my full…" He was interrupted as a true look of surprise took his face. A red-headed woman landed on the windowsill with a wide grin on her face. "…payment for services rendered…" He finished slowly with obvious confusion.

The red-head's grin quickly turned into a frown as she looked around the room. The first thing she noticed was a woman sitting behind in the chair reserved for the Hokage. The second thing she noticed was who the woman was, Tsunade. The rest of her observations were fairly quick. She recognized Hiashi as the former heir and likely current head of the Hyuuga clan, and he was flanked by two branch members. One flanking branch member happened to be Neji.

Kanaeru was surrounded by five ANBU even as the _acceptable_ entrance to the Hokage's office opened, the door. Kakashi grinned at the sight, and Gayt stepped beside him to view into the open portal. Kanaeru stared intently at Hiashi and completely ignored the ANBU. Kakashi cleared his throat. "I'd recommend backing off."

An ANBU in a hawk mask carefully reached for his sword. "I'd listen to him, ma'am. If you come peacefully, we won't have to torture you." Gayt tilted his head in mild amusement.

Kakashi chuckled. "I wasn't talking to her." The ANBU, Neji, and other branch Hyuuga all looked at him in dumbfounded confusion. His visible eye curled with his smile. "She won't hurt anyone unless provoked, and I doubt she'd even break a sweat with just the five of you."

Tsunade sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She wasn't ready for a visit from one of Naruto's relatives. "You can go. She's a little brash, but I think we can all name at least _one_ person like that." Her emphasis wasn't missed. The ANBU bowed before disappearing with plumes of smoke.

During the entire exchange, Kanaeru never took her icy glare off Hiashi. With the ANBU gone, he finally decided to address her. At least he was until Neji interrupted. "It is rude to stare. This is Hyuuga-sama, the head of the Hyuuga clan." He managed to sound more prideful than hurt. "State your business."

She scoffed. "Are you just some dog who rolls over for his master?" Neji was taken aback by that, but he quickly lowered into his fighting stance. She smirked. "Trust me, pup, I'm not afraid of your juuken." He did not seem impressed. She quickly ignored him and turned her attention to Hiashi. "Greetings Hiashi-san, it's been a while."

Hiashi politely bowed. "Greetings Uzumaki-san, I trust you are well." She nodded, and Neji straightened slightly. "If you have business with Hokage-sama, I can leave. We were discussing details of a mission I commissioned, but meeting with foreign dignitaries takes precedence."

He turned to leave, and the branch members followed suit. Kanaeru wasn't about to let that happen. "Stop right there!" He stopped his lips from twitching as he turned to face her. He was never talked to that way by anybody in Konoha. She didn't care. "What are you doing still using that disgusting seal?" She pointed to Neji's forehead.

Neji looked down in shame. It was the one thing he could never forgive. Hiashi heaved a breath and crossed his arms over his chest before answering. "I assure you this family tradition is only for the protection of the Byakugan." He had a feeling he knew where she was going. He was right.

She puffed her chest and took two strides to reach him. She pushed two fingers into his chest in obvious defiance. "If you were so concerned with _protecting_ that kekkei genkai, every Hyuuga would have the seal which makes it useless instead of that mutilated form which can be used to _kill_ unjustly." She was fuming.

Hiashi allowed his confident smirk to decorate his face; though, only those who knew him best saw it. "I suppose, then, you are a _full_ sumitsuki, unlike the last time we met." His statement almost sounded like a question.

She drew back and matched his confident stance. "Hmm, I suppose I am." If their eyes weren't closed, everybody in the room would have sworn they saw a staring contest.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "I think the adrenaline rush is over." Hiashi and Kanaeru sheepishly look to her. She sighed. "Look, I'm sure there's plenty of things to discuss later, and a heated debate on the seal the Hyuuga clan uses can be conducted at another time at another place. I am _not_ about to get in the middle of it!" She made sure she had all eyes on her and full attention. "Now… What business does Whirlpool have with Fire, let alone Konoha?"

* * *

Kyuubi was still in his human form as he sat in a corner to think. It was strange to be whole again. He was confused by flood of emotions, most of which felt alien to him after feeling only rage for fifteen years. He shook his head at another headache. "Naruto really is _that_ kit? If that's true, where's the tane?"

He stood up deciding Naruto was silent for too long. He walked towards the massive gates to look at the limp figure of the blond. He snarled slightly. As he came within two feet of the gate, he felt a painful convulsion run up his shoulder. He grasped it in pain and his eyes widened. "You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

He growled and leapt for the bars in hopes of reaching through and somehow shaking the unconscious genin. _"If I don't reach him…"_ His thoughts were interrupted as the gates swung open, the paper seal disintegrating. He stared blankly into the distance. "This…can't be good…" He pushed his trepidation to the side, and two, quick strides had him besides Naruto.

Kyuubi shook his jailer, if he could be called that any more. He felt another painful tremor, only this one traveled up his leg. He nearly fell backwards at the loss of balance. "Oh, I am _not_ dieing like this! I better get this kit some help." He growled. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm sorry kit. I need to take over your body." He closed his eyes and concentrated.

* * *

A red chakra seeped from Naruto's sleeping form. He slowly rose to a seated position and opened his eyes. His body was slowly transforming under the Kyuubi Cloak, as it was coined. "Tch, never thought I'd take control like this." The Kyuubi-possessed boy threw the covers to the side.

He looked around the familiar surroundings. He was in Naruto's bed, but he wasn't entirely sure how. He looked at the blonde's body. "Well, he's still dressed…" He sniffed an orange sleeve. "Pinky?" Naruto's eyes rolled at Kyuubi's annoyance. Kyuubi felt the pain in Naruto's body, and he quickly fought to counter it. "Kit better thank me later!"

He leapt from the bed to the balcony. Before he made his way to the rooftops, he concentrated on his chakra. He didn't want to alert every shinobi in Konoha to his unmistakable chakra. It meant he had to fight the first tail from appearing. His chakra was so thick it actually bubbled with heat, and he never saw it like quite like that before.

He took in a breath of the cool, evening air before jumping to the nearest roof and proceeded towards the Hokage and her chakra. "Scratch that, kit better get on his hands and knees and _worship_ me!" He was _not_ looking forward to dealing with Tsunade. As much as he dreaded it, Kyuubi made his way as quickly as he could in Naruto's body.

He made it to the mansion quickly enough. He even stared in through the open window for several long minutes debating how he was going to do this. It didn't help that every, passing minute caused the pain to grow worse. He couldn't see who was inside, but he was aware of more than one, additional presence. His elongated canine bit down on his nervous lip. "Well, I'll either be really lucky or really dead."

* * *

Tsunade couldn't help it. She rubbed her temples with the encroaching headache. Kanaeru was _too_ similar to certain other red-headed kunoichi. "Why wait so long? Sarutobi died over three years ago, so I'm sure you've been without correspondence for at least that long."

Kanaeru narrowed her eyes. "We still received coded messages from Jiraiya-sama. We were assured the heir was alive and well and receiving the best, possible instruction. Some months ago, the weekly messages went dry." She paused in recollection. "It wasn't unusual; nee sometimes went months without as much as a word."

Tsunade, Kakashi, and Hiashi lowered their heads slightly at the mention of Kanaeru's sister. Tsunade looked up to address the red-headed kunoichi. "We didn't even know he had living relatives. I suppose we assumed the worst, that Akatsuki finished the job and wiped out the Uzumaki."

Neji interjected, curiosity piqued. "Pardon, but this is the second time I have heard this foreign kunoichi referred to as Uzumaki." He didn't flinch as the eyes in the room fell on him, and he felt prepared to sate his curiosity. "Hiashi-sama also referred to her on equal terms. Why, then, does he not extend this same courtesy to the 'heir' she seeks?"

Kanaeru smirked, stifled a giggle, and then nearly fell back in raucous laughter. She wiped a mirthful tear from her eye before answering the young jonin. "Knowing nee, she probably never wanted him to in the first place. Besides, a clan head outranks an heir." She smiled brightly and confidently.

Neji didn't back down. "The heir still takes over the clan one day. That so, does it not foster better relations?" His eyes narrowed. He didn't believe for a second that the Uzumaki clan from a foreign land could hold similar sway to the Hyuuga clan from the significantly larger Fire.

Hiashi cleared his throat. "The heir she seeks still doesn't know. It was in…his best interest to hide this information. As Tsunade-hime said, we feared the worst. Whirlpool is very small, barely a peninsula and three islands. Sarutobi and Jiraiya may have been the only two in the whole of Fire who knew it wasn't annexed or worse."

Kanaeru's face contorted into concern, and she drew her hands to symbol silence. She crept to the windowsill and looked into the dusk sky. She felt a strange presence, one both familiar and not. As she craned her neck to look outside, an orange and yellow blur rushed past her, turned, and faced Tsunade…only to gape at the red-headed kunoichi. "You!" They shouted at once.

Naruto scratched his head in mild frustration. "Argh! I don't have time for this!" He slammed his hands on Tsunade's desk. "Hey, Hokage, I need two people here pronto." She blinked dumbstruck. "They have to be Hyuuga Hinata and Neji. I don't have time to argue, just do it!"

Though Kakashi started to stalk towards the blond genin, Kanaeru beat him to it. She walloped him hard over the head. "Kyuu-chan! What do you think you're doing?!" The room froze. With exception of Neji and the other Hyuuga branch member, everybody knew what Kanaeru just said. Kyuubi was in free control of Naruto's body…and she just hit him…over the head…_hard_. Gayt showed no concern, however.

The possessed Naruto turned on Kanaeru as he rubbed the welt under the spiky mess. "What was that for, Kanae?!" Gayt made no move to threaten him as he did Gai.

She leaned over and brought herself nose-to-nose with him. "Return control of the body to the boy." Suspicions confirmed, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Hiashi looked around the room for cover. Neji raised a brow as he soaked in the new information, and the other branch member backed up fearful of the tension in the room.

The blond shrugged. "Sorry Kanae, no can do. The kit's completely unconscious." He was racked by pain in his gut and doubled over. He focused chakra to relieve the pain, and he spoke through clenched teeth. "Just get Hinata and Neji over here!"

Tsunade carefully stood to look over her desk. "Why those two?" She was concerned for Naruto's health, but she needed information.

Kanaeru knelt down and placed a hand on the genin's shoulders. "What's so serious you had to open a gate?" Nobody knew how she was able to tell that, and it somewhat frightened them. They never got to voice their concerns.

Naruto turned his head up to look at Kanaeru. "The kit's body is tearing itself apart… The gates are acting like dams preventing the chakra flow. I _need_ powerful Hyuuga here…" He turned an icy glower to Tsunade. "…to help control his tenketsu." He doubled over again clutching his sides.

Tsunade leapt to the center of the room to begin issuing commands. She pointed to the excess Hyuuga branch member. "You, leave the room immediately." The boy didn't hesitate and left. He didn't even look to Hiashi for confirmation, not that the he would have rebuffed an order from the Hokage. She then snapped her fingers. Two ANBU, one in a hawk and one in a leopard mask, quickly appeared bowing properly.

She flashed through signs as she approached Naruto. When her hands landed on his shoulders, they were glowing green. She gave her orders to the ANBU as she examined the blond genin. "Retrieve Hyuuga Hinata and bring her here immediately. Explain to her that Naruto needs her help; she won't hesitate." They were gone in a flash. A flash of concern washed over her face. "His physiological and chakra systems are a mess!"

Tsunade stood and turned to Neji. There was no way around it. She preferred that Naruto tell his peers, but the circumstances called for something drastic. There was no way he wouldn't walk away from this conversation and whatever Kyuubi was planning without finding out for himself. He was a genius. "Neji, I have to tell you something about Naruto…"

She was interrupted when Neji confidently smirked and chuckled. "I think I've had plenty of time to go over the puzzle he presents." He closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and lifted on arm to start counting down. He raised a finger. "He has two chakras. One looks normal to the Byakugan, but the other is a different color." His smirked broadened as he briefly opened an eye to spy the reactions.

He raised a second finger. "This second chakra felt different from any _human_ I ever met." He raised a third finger. "It also carried emotions of pure, unadulterated rage which Naruto _never_ carried." He raised a fourth as Hinata flanked by ANBU walked through the door. "Finally, Kanaeru-sama…" He added the honorific with false courtesy. "…just called Naruto by Kyuu-chan." He opened his eyes and lifted his chin triumphantly. "Naruto imprisons the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Hinata gasped, and Neji turned to face her when he heard her. He gave her a curious look as he considered how much she knew. He heaved a heavy breath and was about to say something when Tsunade interrupted. "…and what do you think of Naruto now that you also know the truth?" The implication was obvious to Neji. Hinata already knew the truth.

* * *

Bleh... The opening is _very_ weak because I didn't want to rewrite how the news affected Naruto... I also noticed after my, oh, fourth reading of this chapter that Sakura has the exact elemental affinities as Sasuke... That said, I don't think I'd describe his personality..._quite_ the same way. To alleviate any concerns, I have not and shall not forget about Matsuri versus Keita. In truth, the prologue actually happens a day after the events here. I also love my cliffhangers. At the moment, I'm just setting up plot.

Goshies, Naruto is going to start using mana! Oh well, I discovered I was right about several things. The summons aren't from an 'alternate' dimension but just very far away.

I hadn't noticed my permission for anonymous reviews was off, so I'm trying a little experiment. I'm turning permissions on. I'll also tell you this. If you want to leave a review but don't want me responding to it in my review section at the top of each story, just tell me so at the end of the review. I promise only to respond through this sites private message system (if you can call it that...). I just feel some questions in reviews are best answered to all readers.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,053  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms:**

gingitsune: silver fox - more to be revealed at a later update

kousotsu: armored warrior - a samurai hired by the Uzumaki clan as a guardian for especially important clan members. They are rarely skilled in the ninja arts, but they make up for it with their own, unique variety of skill sets.

sumitsuki: black seal - the second most important member of a given house within the Uzumaki clan. More will be revealed in later updates.

tane: seed or offspring - more to be revealed at later update

nee: sis - a very informal way of addressing one's sister. I may be making this up, but I don't care. It's how Kanaeru talks.


	3. Chapter 2: Comrades

TimeShifter: Chapter 1 was a pure setup chapter, and I do mean 'pure'. It's a lot of information to process, but it's necessary setup for the next several chapters.

* * *

**Chapter 2:  
Comrades  
**

Neji looked at Tsunade with his confident grin. "My opinion of Naruto hasn't changed in the slightest." Hinata almost gave a relieved sigh, almost. "He's dense, rash, and incorrigibly stupid…" She felt rage and unconsciously prepared the seals to bring Neji pain, if only the slightest trickle. Then he saved himself. "…but I love him like the brother I never wanted."

Tsunade, Hiashi, and Kanaeru watched Hinata with trepidation. When her cheeks turned a shade of rosy happiness, they visibly relaxed…until the Kyuubi controlled Naruto decided to chime in. "Um…somebody mind helping me? I'm in a lot of pain here." As his ever so gracious host, Kyuubi didn't like being ignored.

Hinata's eyes widened. "N-Naruto-kun!" She rushed to his side and knelt beside him immediately. In the years, nearly thirteen she reminded herself, she'd known him, she never saw him as weak as he seemed then. "Wh-What's wrong?" She ignored the faint she felt.

Naruto breathed through gritted teeth. He obviously couldn't speak, so Kanaeru spoke up for him. "From what I can tell, his chakra is flaring causing strain on his chakra network. His tenketsu are literally almost backfiring, and he's been opening and closing gates because they are acting like dams instead of nodes."

Hiashi carefully calculated his words and answered before anybody else had the chance. "Uzumaki-dono, what is causing it? Surely the Kyuubi is afraid of dieing if the boy does, but I cannot imagine why such a sudden flare-up might occur." He was careful to mask his emotions, but there was clear disdain at the mention of Kyuubi.

Kanaeru narrowed her eyes and lightly gripped a loose link of chain. _"Tempting…but he has no contempt for the boy at least."_ She reasoned with herself that attacking was a bad idea, especially after what Konoha suffered to the Kyuubi's rage. She took in a deep breath. "I can only imagine he was never properly trained on something important to his legacy."

Kyuubi was getting frustrated, and even he had a threshold. With a loud snort, he controlled Naruto into a controlled rage. He fought back the bubbling, red chakra. "Pain… Somebody… Help… Please!" His eyes clenched shut in a vain attempt to fight the massive migraine.

Tsunade's eyes widened. "Hyuuga Neji, Hinata, I have a mission for you." If it were Naruto, she knew she'd have to spill out some impressive rank for the mission. Hinata and Neji, however, immediately went to attention to await orders; though, they already guessed what they were. "Take Naruto somewhere open enough to perform what is needed. Help him control his tenketsu through any means you know how."

Hinata hesitated, and the Kyuubi possessed Naruto noticed. She was _not_ getting away that easily! "No!" He bellowed, clearly in two voices. He was leaking chakra excessively and seemed in less pain. "The chakra control has to be precise, and the chakra pressure must be exact." As soon as the excessive leak stopped, he doubled over in pain again.

Hiashi raised a brow at the Kyuubi's choice of words but showed no other reaction. He sent a harsh look at the teens. They had a mission to accomplish. "Well, what are you waiting for? You were specifically selected for this mission. Now, go!" His command did not go wasted as Hinata and Neji quickly supported Naruto and left. He breathed a heavy sigh.

He turned to Kanaeru who was looking out the window in deep though. "I hadn't seen it in over twelve years." Tsunade and Kanaeru turned to him with curious expressions. "Three years ago at the chunin exams, Neji closed off all Naruto's tenketsu. It should have been over; the boy never showed the necessary skill. Then he called on the Kyuubi and, somehow, opened each tenketsu like it was nothing."

Kanaeru smiled at him knowingly. She had the answer she needed. He was never trained properly because nobody knew. "Thank you, 'shi-kun." Hiashi cringed, and she laughed. Tsunade still has a curious and confused look on her face, so she elaborated. "It seems he has the gift after all." Tsunade mouthed understanding.

* * *

Hinata and Neji carried Naruto to a training area with wide space. It wasn't one of the designated, numbered training grounds. It was just a wide area set aside for aspiring shinobi, an academy training ground for taijutsu. Naruto collapsed to the ground as soon as they released him.

"Byakugan!" Neji activated his kekkei genkai to see just what was going on with Naruto and his tenketsu. He was stunned by what he saw. He quickly turned to Hinata. "Tsunade-sama was right. His chakra is tearing his insides apart…" He paused to watch as one tenketsu opened too wide and another closed too tight. At least he knew what was causing Naruto so much pain. "Hinata-sama, prepare yourself."

Hinata nodded with a small affirmative. She closed her eyes and molded her chakra. "Byakugan!" Her visual spectrum changed, and she gasped at what she saw once her eyes opened. "Na-Naruto-kun…" She watched Neji lower himself into a stance, and she nodded in understanding. They weren't fighting Naruto, but the stances allowed for quick and agile strikes which they needed to make.

Hinata looped around behind Naruto while Neji took the front. Neji was the first to move, and Hinata felt that familiar pang of doubt. He struck two tenketsu before speaking up. "Hinata-sama, you have to help. It is your responsibility as a shinobi. Naruto needs you, and the Kyuubi _requested_ you." He had to shake her out of her self-pity.

She nodded. She knew he was right. She closed her eyes to steel her resolve. When she opened her eyes, she lashed out with unnerving accuracy and speed. He was taken aback for a moment before pushing forward himself. Quickly, they found a pattern to how the tenketsu flared. They molded chakra to open or close tenketsu as appropriate, and Naruto started to recover.

Neji was surprised by something he saw in Hinata. After the thrashing Naruto handed him at the chunin exam three years ago, he learned to be more watchful for what _kind_ of strength one had. He was the first to admit she was not 'weak' as he first shrugged her off as, but he never saw her quite as accurate as she was dealing with the strange condition afflicting Naruto.

He decided to test her. He carefully molded chakra to close a particular tenketsu which needed opened. It was a feint, but she didn't notice. She didn't have enough time, so she just reacted. She opened a tenketsu she was aiming at and shifted her feet for a spin. At the end of her spin, she slid her arm under his and flicked her wrist with a burst of chakra to send his high.

Neji was stunned, and he could only watch as she expertly parried his strike. Hinata even continued. She opened the tenketsu he made the faint for, noticed two more flare-ups, and took appropriate action. Before he lowered himself back into his stance, she was already behind Naruto taking care of her job. "B-Be more careful Neji-niisan."

She wasn't being rude, and Neji nodded in understanding. He wasn't going to test any more theories. He already had his answer.

* * *

Tsunade threw herself back into her seat. She didn't know what was going on, but she was sure she didn't like it. She gave Kakashi and the two ANBU a commanding glare. They dispersed immediately to keep their eyes on Naruto. Kakashi was also moving to retrieve the nearby Yamato. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Oh yes, an evil migraine was on its way.

Kanaeru guffawed boisterously. "Ah, I like that pup, Neji." Tsunade and Hiashi looked at her quizzically. She wore a broad smile as she answered them. "The girl obvious likes the boy, and the pup was insulting him rather directly." She seemed to glow in mirthful exuberance.

Tsunade cleared her throat to get the red-head's attention. When she had it, she asked the question resting in her mind. "Not to be rude, but what business _do_ you have here? It's a long way from Whirlpool." Her voice was serious, so it was easily understood she meant business.

Kanaeru bowed slightly. The joy wasn't shaken from her voice, so she didn't sound as regal as she could when she got down to business. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I did crash in unannounced." She giggled slightly, and Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I'm here 'cause of the last message we got from Jiraiya-sama. It was his usual gibberish, but we deciphered most of it. He said, 'Konoha can help understand the rest.' Wasn't my first choice to come here, but the heir is more important than trivial feelings."

Tsunade nodded as she listened and waited for her to finish. After a moment's pause, her eyes went wide, and a resounding thud announced how quickly she rose to her feet; her fists slammed hard against the desk. "You mean you understand that code?!" She bit her lip. "That could have helped a lot the past few days!"

Kanaeru shrugged. "I was still on the road, and I didn't know you needed help with that gibberish." Tsunade almost interjected, but she wasn't finished and held up a hand. "Besides, we have an old grudge with the Uchiha. As long as the heir was safe, we were content to go about things like we usually did."

Tsunade let out a sigh. She couldn't really argue with her. _"For all we knew, the Uzumaki was wiped out some years ago. I wonder how many knew…"_ She was brought out of her internal musings by another heated debate between Kanaeru and Hiashi. Well, it was about as 'heated' as a playful argument between two, old friends. Her vision blurred as she pushed back the anger. "All right you two, stop acting like kids!"

Hiashi feigned insult. "We were only discussing the merits of having the Sharingan as an ally to Konoha." It was an old argument. Though the Hyuuga weren't big fans of the Uchiha, they figured having them as allies was far safer than allowing them to aid the enemy.

Kanaeru scoffed. "We are talking about the _same_ arrogant brats, right?" She added the emphasis with a smirk. She didn't trust the Uchiha and had her reasons. She enjoyed pointing out all the traitors who came from the _one_ clan. She was well aware of Itachi and Sasuke's behavior, and she venomously knew Madara from history.

Tsunade slammed her fists on the desk again, badly splintering it. "I already said enough, so that's enough!" They piped down in their own ways. Kanaeru wore a smirk similar to Naruto's, and Hiashi just put on his expressionless mask as he crossed his arms. Tsunade rubbed the bridge of her nose as she spoke. "Just tell me why you're here…"

Kanaeru puffed her chest in confidence as a wicked grin took her face. "You know Jiraiya-sama's books…?"

* * *

Kakashi watched from several yards away as Hinata and Neji wore themselves out 'attacking' Naruto. He had his usual lazy expression with his nose buried in his favorite book. Yamato stood beside him ready for anything. "You know, for the Kyuubi being in control this is rather pedestrian."

Kakashi nodded. "Hinata and Neji are on the brink of chakra exhaustion." Yamato nodded, and Kakashi continued his observations. "Naruto's body also seems to be doing better. Though I doubt he'll be able to mold chakra properly for a while, they don't have to rush for his tenketsu anymore."

Yamato chuckled. "Knowing Naruto, he'll bounce right back. Those two, though, might need to rest for a day or two." Kakashi just nodded and continued reading. Yamato sighed. He never understood the infatuation his senior had with those books, so he decided to keep his attention on the teens. He noticed something and was about to speak up. "Hey…"

However, when he turned to his senior, there was only a swirl of leaves. Kakashi was clear across the field as he caught Hinata as she fainted. Neji barely hobbled backwards before he slumped. He nodded to the senior jonin in thanks, and Kakashi returned it. "Not a problem, Neji. Now, we need to get the three of you home." He looked over his shoulder. "Yamato, get Naruto home. I'll escort the Hyuuga."

Yamato stood and started walking towards Naruto, and Kakashi was already helping Neji along as he carried Hinata. Naruto waved back and forth, and his eyes rolled back and eyelids lolled. Yamato's eyes went wide, and he pushed chakra to his legs to propel himself forwards. However, the accompanying thud announced his slow reaction. Naruto passed out and fell to the ground.

Kakashi and Neji felt a nervous sweat when the looked back to the stone-faced Yamato. Kakashi chuckled with a reply. "Well, it's been a hard day for all of us." If not for Neji's exhaustion, he would have just vanished from sight. As it was, he was forced to walk along to help Neji home.

Yamato sighed as he picked Naruto up. "Let's get you home." He wasn't so constrained, and he disappeared in a whirl of leaves to get his young charge home. There was a feeling that the blond genin might be seeing his eyelids a lot in the coming days. Overwhelming news tended to have that effect.

* * *

Tsunade was still nursing a headache when Kakashi and Yamato walked into her office. Kanaeru left with Hiashi after being dismissed. They apparently had a few more things to discuss. She wasn't sure she wanted to know, but parts of their conversation stuck in her mind. The former ANBU and undercover ANBU were called for specific reasons, and one of those reasons was to discuss a revealing subject.

They offered polite bows, and she started the conversation. "Kanaeru revealed Jiraiya has been in contact with the Uzumaki for the past fifteen years, a little more intensive in the past three." She watched their faces for a reaction, but one decided to present itself verbally.

Kakashi actually put his book away to speak up. "Hokage-sama, Sarutobi-sama also wrote until he was killed." He wasn't surprised by the surprised glares he was receiving. "Jiraiya-sama likely intensified his writing to reassure the Uzumaki and keep them abreast of the situation."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and rested her chin on tented fingers. She was angry. "How long have you been withholding this information?"

Kakashi sighed. _"This is going to be harder than I thought…"_ He thought about it for a moment before answering. "I've known since Kushina saved my life." Tsunade raised a brow to the answer and opened her mouth to reply, but he quickly continued. "Why do you think Sarutobi-sama entrusted me with ANBU patrols to protect him and then be his jonin sensei?"

Tsunade raised her brow. _"He has a point."_ She sighed. She wasn't about to argue pointlessly. "Was it a secret?" He nodded. "Was it one you couldn't even tell me?" He nodded again, and she felt the vein in her forehead twitch. "Are you saying Sarutobi-sensei couldn't even trust me?!"

Yamato carefully took a step back, but Kakashi didn't flinch as he answered. "He wasn't called the Professor for assuming everything would turn out perfectly. The Fourth didn't have a successor, and he didn't exactly have his top choices in the village. He may have trusted Koharu and Homaru as teammates, but he didn't trust Danzo's influence over them. If I may be so bold, he didn't have much reason to believe you would become Fifth."

She recognized his words for what they were, gentle chastisement for doubting Sarutobi. She bowed her head in apology, but he waved it off as unnecessary. She gruffly sat back in her seat and turned it to look to the Konoha night sky. "Kanaeru was kind enough to share some information for us. I'll be giving Shikamaru that information tomorrow to help crack the code, or gibberish as Kanaeru calls it."

Kakashi's face showed obvious amusement. "That's excellent. Naruto should be back to normal come morning, but Hinata and Neji are suffering from chakra exhaustion. It might be a few days before they're back up to form." He paused to consider giving her some information on the Uzumaki clan. After careful consideration, he came to his decision. _"Nah, she'll find out soon enough from the tomboy's temper."_

Tsunade nodded. She figured they might be wiped from whatever the Kyuubi put them through. She was primarily just glad it all ended without incident. She did have one strange thought. _"How did Kanaeru get away with just walloping him upside the head?"_ With a heavy sigh, she turned to her subordinates. She put that thought aside in favor of sleep. "You're dismissed. Get some sleep, check on them in the morning, and report to me."

Kakashi and Yamato bowed and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Tsunade was left alone to her thoughts while she packed up to head to her bedchambers. Naruto had a lot of work ahead of him. The toad sage invited him to sage training, and she wasn't about to let him pass up that offer. His aunt was in Konoha, and she, no doubt, wanted to ensure he was trained in his legacy. She, on the other hand, had a killer headache begging her to smash something to rubble.

* * *

He woke with vision swimming in red, and he felt his body wracked with pain. He put his hand to his forehead to massage his throbbing head only to find his spiky, blond hair matted in place. Groggily, he gave up on the headache after a moment to sit up, and he looked at his shaking hands. "Wha…?" He couldn't remember ever waking up in that condition before.

He slowly turned to his dresser and the mirror angled towards his bed. He was the same Naruto he was everyday, azure eyes and whisker marks staring back at him. He saw a smudge in the mirror and realized his vision was still blurry. Blinking, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes…and saw a beautiful red-headed woman sitting on his balcony railing with a chain around her right arm and huge smile on her face.

He spun around, got wrapped in his blankets, and fell to the floor. The woman fell back in raucous laughter which could have mistaken her for an Inuzuka. "Good mornin' Naruto-kun!" He pulled himself up to look at her, so his arms were resting on the edge of the bed and his chest against it. "I see you're a fast healer." She wore an amused smirk. _"Just like nee…"_

He stood and rubbed the back of his head nervously. She stifled a giggle noticing he didn't seem embarrassed. He was only in boxers and tee-shirt. "Uh, yeah… I've always bounced right back from just about anything in a night… Though, I don't remember getting injured…" He was at a loss, and he neither recognized the woman nor realized why she was just outside his room.

She grinned so wide her teeth showed and eyes closed. "Once you're dressed, you're mine all day." He gave her an incredulous look. "I'm a worse slave-driver than Jiraiya-sama when it comes to training, so you'll be grabbing your weights to come with me." Her face quickly contorted into a wicked grin promising much pain.

He was taken aback for a second until something she said sank in. He looked down to realize that, besides the blanket wrapped around halfway up his calf, he was only in his underwear. He gaped at the woman and pointed and accusing finger at her. "Ah! You perv!"

An angry spark flashed across her eyes, but she covered hearing what he called her. She smiled sweetly as she answered him. "Me? …a perv?" She giggled at the very thought of the accusation. "Nah, boy, you aren't my type." She paused for a moment as if considering her words. She wasn't. "Now, Kakashi swings more my style." She let the thought hang in the air, and she immensely enjoyed the look on Naruto's face.

He looked mortified as he turned the corner into the bathroom, barely stopping to grab the battle dress Neji had been forcing him to wear. "I knew it! You are a perv!" The bathroom door slammed behind him, and the sound of a shower starting could be heard.

Kanaeru nearly fell off the railing in her laughter. "Oh, the kit's too much!" She jumped onto the balcony to wait for him. "Honestly, did he forget to ask for my name? Maybe I shouldn't tease the kit too much…" She thought on that for a moment as she sat on the edge of his bed before banishing the thought. "Nah!" She was going to milk this family reunion for all it was worth.

After a few minutes, the bathroom door creaked open, and he walked out as he put on his jacket. He looked forlornly to his orange jumpsuit. He never realized how easy it was to forget about it when he was getting dressed. Then he spotted the red-head sitting on his bed. He heaved a sigh. He figured there was no point arguing with her or fighting. He already knew plenty of perverts. "Well, you never introduced yourself."

She smiled as she looked over her shoulder at him. Oh yeah, she was going to have plenty of fun with him. "What's that, Naruto-kun? You aren't going to ask how I know your name?" She, of course, knew nobody in Konoha _didn't_ know who he was.

He looked at her like she said the dumbest thing he ever heard, and she found herself stifling a giggle once more. "_Everybody_ in Konoha knows who _I_ am! I'm the great Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be Hokage!" He puffed his chest and crossed his arms. He appeared completely confident in his statement.

She crooked her neck with a finger to her chin. She wanted the illusion of being in careful thought, and it served to annoy the genin that she actually had to _think_ about who he was. "Oh! You don't mean _that_ Naruto; do you?" She carefully watched his face light up. "Didn't you used to pull all those pranks?" His face immediately planted firmly in his mattress. She giggled, especially proud of his graduation present…painting the Hokage monument.

He grumbled as he sat on the bed, back to her. He made a point to sit several feet from her. "Just introduce yourself already, nee-chan!" She seemed nice enough; he noted. She just teased him a bit too much, and Kyuubi seemed oddly anxious around her. "I'd prefer knowing the name of my sensei."

_"Oh, nee knows how to make kids!"_ She giggled inwardly as she shifted on the bed and crawled next to him. He stiffened when she spoke with lips unnervingly close to his ear. "Ka-nae-ru." He jumped reasserting his statement that she was a pervert, but she didn't hear him through her laughter and tears.

* * *

Naruto grumbled all the way to the training ground. He had his arms folded over his chest in annoyance as a proud Kanaeru walked beside him. When they got there, she put her hand over her brow as if spying something interesting. "Oh, boy, is that your girlfriend over there?"

Hinata was standing next to Neji waving as Naruto approached with the red-head from the other day. She wondered, nervously, why the beautiful woman was walking next to her crush, but she reasoned that somebody Kakashi's age wasn't after the blond genin. She didn't hear the question either, or she might have fainted.

Naruto, on the other hand, was standing right next to Kanaeru, and his reaction was better than she expected. He turned beat red, turned his face to the ground, and mumbled some more. She giggled and slapped him, playfully, across his back. He looked up to retort, but he noticed something about Hinata and Neji. His face paled, and he rushed up to them. "Hinata, Neji, what happened to you two?!"

Kanaeru's cheeks warmed with a happy flush. He showed a sweet concern for his friends, and she was sure she could play matchmaker between him and the Hyuuga girl. She was sure Hiashi wouldn't like it, but she never concerned herself with his opinion in the first place. She approached just in time to hear Hinata's explanation after Neji managed to calm Naruto enough to quiet down.

"Y-You don't re-remember, Na-Naruto-kun?" He shook his head vehemently to her question. She looked at him like he was losing his mind, a first for her. "Neji-niisan and I had to combat your flaring tenketsu for over an hour yesterday!" She was flustered enough to get a sentence out without stutter.

Naruto rubbed his cheek in confusion. It took him a few seconds to remember what tenketsu were, but he was more curious why she and Neji had to 'combat' them from flaring. Never being one to leave questions unasked, he blurted his mind. "Why did you and Neji have to do that?"

Hinata blinked. She remembered that Kyuubi was in control of his body, so she wondered if maybe he hadn't told her indomitable crush. "You mean Kyuubi didn't…mmphmm…" His hands were over her mouth with a pleading expression, and it took her a moment to realize he didn't know both Neji and Kanaeru knew about it. She didn't realize Naruto thought Kanaeru was from the village and knew anyway.

Neji rolled his eyes. Like Hinata, he figured Naruto thought the red-headed kunoichi didn't know either. "It's fine, Naruto. I know all about the Kyuubi, and she…" He indicated Kanaeru, but a warning glance from her reconsider what he was about to say. He gently coughed to feign a reason for his pause. "…she's known for a while."

Naruto blinked and was about to respond before Kanaeru interrupted him. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. These two saved your life after Kyuubi requested their help." She winked at Hinata. "I was there when you rushed to his side when he was in pain, very dashing!" As a tomboy, she didn't think twice about using the word 'dashing' to describe the shy Hyuuga.

Hinata's face lit up in both embarrassment and realization. Kanaeru was the red-head in the office with the Hokage the previous night. She thought she heard her father mention something to one of the groundskeepers about a relative of Naruto… Her eyes widened, but a warning glance from Kanaeru seemed to tell her not to mention the relation. She nodded in absent understanding.

Kanaeru clapped her hands with a bright smile on her face. "Now then, let's get down to training!" She turned to Naruto. "First thing's first… You have an excess of chakra, so I doubt chakra control was ever much of a concern for you. Tell me, which is easier for you? _Kage Bushin_ or _Kawarimi_?"

He answered automatically. "Oh! It's _Kage Bushin_ for sure!" He was extremely proud of the fact that he mastered _Kage Bushin_ so easily all those years ago. To him, it proved he wasn't the 'dead last' everybody made him out to be.

Hinata fidgeted. She always impressed with Naruto's boundless energy, drive to succeed, and seemingly limitless potential. Neji just gawked, but he did share a common thought with his cousin. _"How can such a difficult technique be less difficult than _Kawarimi_?"_

Kanaeru nodded and cupped her chin in her hand. "As I thought…" She paused for a moment to watch a passing cloud. "Now, I ask any other ninja, like Kakashi, and they'd answer the opposite." Naruto nodded, not sure where she was going with this. "Tell me, who would win in a fight between you and Kakashi…"

He opened his mouth to blurt out his answer automatically, but he blinked at realizing something. Even when he fought alongside Sakura, the fight with Kakashi was anything but decisive. He looked down as he blinked. "Even if he said I have four times as much chakra as him, I'm sure he could still win…" He noticed her nod and about to speak, but he had more to say. "He has a lot more experience than me, and he also knows nature manipulation of chakra! He's been teaching me, but I'm still a long way from mastering it."

Her smile widened. She was proud to see how mature he was. Neji stared in disbelief, and Hinata silently praised him. They had both expected him to blurt out something along the lines of how definite his victory was.

Kanaeru straightened up and looked over her shoulder. "Oh! Gayt, it's about time you got here." Naruto blanched at seeing the armor, but he was more surprised that he hadn't sensed the walking tank…and still couldn't. "I'd like to introduce you to Naruto-kun. I'm going to train him until that old toad gets here to pick him up!"

* * *

Gaara tensed as flames headed towards his wife. He wanted to interfere and rip every ounce of blood from Keita's body, but he trusted Matsuri to finish the fight properly. He lowered his head until his chin touched his chest, and he released a guttural, ill content groan.

Matsuri watched the approaching flames. For the first time in the fight, she rapidly ran through hand signs. A twitch on her lips betrayed, to allies, an attempt to stop a smirk. To enemies, it betrayed a growing frustration. "_Doton: Do__jinheki_!" The sand around her rose, creating a dome to protect her, and the flames quickly engulfed the dome.

Keita felt his technique hit the _Dojinheki_, so he poured more chakra into his technique. He knew the weakness behind such a barrier. It could only withstand an attack utilizing less chakra than it. He started to laugh even as he continued to twirl with his sword tightly gripped. He felt and watched the flames encircle his body in a tight dome before spreading quickly outwards. _"This fight is mine!"_

Temari felt the knot in her stomach as the flames continued past Matsuri. They were still coming, and the genin were in danger. She made a move to step forward, but Gaara stopped her with a raspy voice. "Don't. This is Matsuri's fight." She looked at him confused and felt the approaching heat. Then she saw the sand before the flames ripple

Keita finally stopped when he felt the _Dojinheki_ crumple under his _Soudai Horeiki_. He closed his eyes to catch his bearings for a second before turning to his opponent. He knew she was charred under his attack. He felt his attack hit a person while still at full blast. Even if he wasn't feeding the flames chakra, they'd continue for several seconds.

He marched confidently towards the frozen monument which was once his opponent. He wiped his brow. More sweat accumulated than he thought, and it felt a lot warmer all of a sudden. He didn't care. He defeated his opponent, and he had more than enough strength to move on. As he got closer to Matsuri, he noticed she seemed to glisten in the sunlight.

Keita wasn't deterred. He didn't feel her chakra nearby, and he knew he burned her inside that dome she created. There was no way to escape without him noticing something. He wiped his brow again. _"Why's it so hot all of a sudden!"_ He attributed it to the desert, a place he couldn't wait to leave. His mission was almost done anyway.

When he was barely a foot away from the monument he created, he carefully appraised her and figured out why she glistened so. Her body was encased in glass. He smirked. "Dumb girl. Covered yourself in sand to protect yourself from my jutsu? Don'cha know them flames are too hot? If you didn't die from the heat, you die from suffocation."

He didn't bother hiding his growing smirk. He had obviously been underestimated. He looked to Temari and Kankuro. They were the highest ranking sand nin remaining, that he could see. He thought he saw something in the canyon shadows, but dismissed it as a trick of the desert. He chuckled at the thought of desert illusions. _"After all, those same mirages are making that blond cutie look like three blurred together."_ He barely stopped himself from drooling.

Keita collected himself and addressed the two protecting the weak genin behind them. "Oh, you can give up now. That was barely a warm-up, so I'm more than ready to keep going. If you'd just given me what I asked for, you wouldn't be short one chunin." He waved his hand and played a great benefactor. "Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a cruel man. Just give me that stuff now and I'll leave without hurting anybody else." He laid eyes, specifically, on the genin.

"The _Soudai Horeiki_ is a powerful, jonin-level ninjutsu." His eyes went wide as he heard the voice. It was coming from all around and reverberating as if meeting some distant mountains or cliff faces. He spun around trying to catch whoever was talking, but the intonation was eerily familiar. "Its origins date back to a long-forgotten clan; though, the Shoka claim rights to it."

He growled at the implied insult. "The Shoka clan is made of Katon and weapons' masters! Any other countries using our jutsu are nothing more than thieves." He hated when his family legacy was called into question. He hated those doubts, and he _knew_ they didn't promote him past chunin because they were jealous of his abilities. Completely flustered, he smashed the monument to Matsuri's death to smithereens.

The glass shattered and fell to the ground, but some shards stuck, painfully, between his knuckles. The rest of his hand was protected by Yuuan. His eyes narrowed when he noticed something. A very thin layer of water was stuck to the inside of the glass. It quickly evaporated in the growing heat and took along with it the visage of Matsuri.

He heard two, disapproving clicks, and he imagined the girl mocking him by flicking her tongue off the roof of her mouth. "My, my, is the _great_ Shoka Keita so easily distracted?" She added emphasis for sarcastic insult, and the angry glower on his face was proof of his growing rage.

Even as she seemed to reform from the very sand surrounding them, he still had enough sense to place things together. He thought the glass figure was a mortal monument to her defeat at his hands. It was really an empty glass shell lined with water in a carefully, deceptive illusion. "Aren't we cheery? You're only advantage _was_ that you are a Suiton user. A lot o' good that does you." He scoffed and spread his arms wide. "This is a _wasteland_ without a drop of water in sight!"

Matsuri raised a brow in curiosity as her natural color returned to her. "Oh? Does that mean I can't beat you because you're in your natural element? Don't forget, Doton and Fuuton are also perfectly in their element out here." To Keita's great detest, she managed a bright smile with a twinkle to her eyes.

He rushed forward with Yuuan drawn high. "You'll pay for that, girly!" He swung wildly to cleave her arm, but she swept her jouhyou out in one, clean motion. He pressed his physical advantage when her arms quivered slightly, but he was still impressed that she could block his powerful strike with such a flimsy weapon. He decided to add his weight advantage by gripping the one-handed sword with both hands.

She smirked. _"Some weapon expert he is."_ She knew she couldn't win head-on against his strength and weight advantage. She was also experiencing why he was never promoted to jonin. He concentrated all effort on taking off her arm, so she easily shifted her body weight to force him to lurch forward. Without skipping a beat, she twisted under his weight and sent a powerful elbow strike into his ribcage.

He lost sight of her as he heard a sickening crunch. She cracked and bruised some ribs in that simple deception. She wasn't done, either. Her twist allowed his strike to continue, but it lost its focus and was awkward. She continued twisting and wrapped the blade with her jouhyou. With a simple flick, she ripped Yuuan out of his grip and flung it out of his reach.

Keita looked at his bloody hand for a moment. His wrist was strained, and glass embedded in his knuckles. Absently, his other hand held his sensitive side. _"This girl is proving to be more of a nuisance than I first anticipated…"_ He was not having a fun time. _"I need to get Yuuan back in order to use my most powerful jutsu, but I still have a few tricks…"_

He smirked. He had a plan to get his stolen wakizashiback and started running through hand signs. _"I'll just distract her. Katon: Hidama Mugoi no Jutsu!"_ With lungs full of chakra, he couldn't say the name of the technique, but he didn't need to with his experience. He violently blew out a wide stream of flames and fully expected Matsuri to dodge. When he finished breathing out, he sprinted for Yuuan.

He was forced to veer away and jump back when a razor sharp edge passed his cheek. He glared at his opponent as he rubbed the blood off. _"She has _my_ weapon strapped to her side!"_ She stood confidently as she masterfully rotated her jouhyou to keep him at bay. He lunged toward her only for another cut to angle from his forehead to cheek, and he had to immediately close his eye.

She utilized her natural agility to quickly loop to his new blind side. With his lack of depth perception and peripheral vision, he completely misjudged her movement. He quickly ran through familiar hand signs and drew chakra into his lungs. _"Katon: Hidama Mugoi no Jutsu!"_ The wide flames missed her widely. He lost sight of her, and his good eye widened.

She stayed a step ahead, keeping in his blind spot. She allowed herself to wear her knowing smirk. He still hadn't noticed how profusely he was sweating and how absent she was of sweat. He started getting desperate and swung his arms in wide arcs to try hitting her. She used her jouhyou continue to lashing out at him. The razor edges sliced up the arm on his blind side.

Keita found the vision in his good eye blurring the longer he fought to gain a modicum of control. His body was heavy with fatigue, and the blood loss from even the minor injuries was starting to affect his movements. He fell to his knees, head spinning and eyelids lolling. He finally noticed something and stared at a particularly bright spot.

"Oh?" Matsuri cooed his realization. "You finally noticed; did you?" He looked at her, dizzy and confused. "You're wondering why I'm not feeling the effects. Am I right?" It was a rhetorical question, but he nodded his head as he fought his fatigue. She fought a wide smile as she answered. "Think back to the Suiton advantage I supposedly lost."

He thought, but his head hurt, and fatigue gnawed at him. He clenched his eyes shut to replay the event she asked of in his head. She spoke up to dispel his thoughts. "I am the _only_ apprentice of Sabaku no Gaara." His eye widened in realization, and he gawked at her. Her wide smile finally won her vain fight. "You've lost this battle. It was thanks to me that Gaara-kun was able to relearn his Sabuton."

"Y-…" His head rolled. "…-ou fought me with a clone?" Her smile was the only confirmation he needed. The clone melted away, water evaporating away and sand dissolving into the desert. "H-ow d-did you…?" The real Matsuri dissolved out of the sand with the same, knowing smile.

She giggled as she used sand to tie him up. "Don't feel too astonished. Suiton is a _very_ rare skill in Suna. I used it in combination with a genjutsu." He smiled slightly like he had a small victory. "Oh, don't worry about your…minions. They can't hear through the thick glass you so generously provided me."

He blinked, and she giggled. "You never noticed? I had you moving and burning precious oxygen just to wear you out. I opened a small hole, so we won't have to worry about suffocation." She looked over to where the bandits were pounding on the glass dome her barrier and his flames created. She rolled her eyes, took out a shuriken, charged it with her chakra, and tossed it to the spot.

The effeminate Fuuton user felt pain rush through his arm as the shuriken flew threw the dome and between the bones of his forearm. The entire dome cracked and started to fall apart. While the bandits and Keita looked worried, she simply crossed her arms and concentrated. "The key to Sabuton is to flow like water. As a Suiton user, I understood this."

Matsuri seized the rope-like sand and dragged him towards Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. The genin watched in awe as the glass about to fall on her was assaulted by the very desert. The dangerous-looking panes shrank to negligible sizes, and she was able to easily walk to and toss her captive in front of her husband and in-laws. "Sorry Temari, looks like this is my paycheck." She was grinning ear to ear.

Temari pushed her sister-in-law's shoulder. "If we didn't have a mission, I'd stay to chastise you." She gave her winning smile causing Matsuri to giggle. She gave her a hug and her goodbyes. She turned to Kankuro and his genin. "We've seen everything there is to see here, and we're already behind schedule! Let's move out!" They were out of sight quickly.

Matsuri turned to Gaara as the bandits closed in. "I'm tired Gaara-kun." She feigned weakness. "Mind taking care of the rabble?" She meant it very much as an insult, and Gaara crossed his arms to give the 'rabble' a mock serious expression.

Gaara stepped forward, and the end fight was on. Matsuri was content to watch, and her smile remained as she her husband showed he was still a Kazekage to be feared. Two bandits approached with massive clubs. They were well toned and likely related. He wrapped their legs in sand and crushed them. The rest of the bandits stalled for a moment.

He pressed his overwhelming advantage. Without the brothers Shoka, the bandits were incapable of coherent thought. They fought in meaningless groups without utilizing their maximum abilities. Gaara was able to handle most with a simple deluge of sand. Some got too close, and they were rewarded with useless legs.

He was in no mood to play. After Keita's display, his seafoam eyes were full of rage. The bandits were a pitiful lot quickly whittled down to their last group of four. In the group were the effeminate Fuuton user and the most agile looking of the entire group.

They charged as one, and Gaara watched them in mock lethargy. He flicked his wrist when the Fuuton user swept gale-force winds to erect a wall of sand. It appeared to buckle causing the man to smirk. He ordered his comrades forward…into a tidal wave of sand which swept them with enough force to knock them unconscious.

Gaara approached them with a steady gaze. "Tch, Katsurugi and Keita sunk so low as to hire this pitiful group. It's pathetic to think they were once proud rock nin." He snapped his fingers and was surrounded by his personal guard. "Make sure these lowlifes are escorted to holding cells." He turned to Matsuri. "Not to quote Shikamaru, but that was troublesome."

She giggled, knowing who he was talking about. She watched the ANBU take the Keita and his bandits away. When they were gone, she jumped at and wrapped her arms around Gaara. She purred into his ear. "That was so sweet of you to be concerned." She nuzzled into his neck when he stiffened. "You really didn't think I noticed!?"

He nodded, and she released him from the embrace. She put on a pout to feign insult and looked him in his eyes. In an overdramatic pose, she put her hand over her heart. "You wound me, Gaara-kun." She couldn't hold in her mirth and broke into laughter at his expression.

He looked at her, confused for the moment. After a moment, a chuckle broke his breath, then another. He didn't laugh nearly as long or hard as she, but the point was made. He understood she meant a joke. He put his arm around her shoulder and walked back to his tower and place of work with her head rested against his shoulder. It had already been a long day.

* * *

It was a great victory for Suna, not just Matsuri. She received pay for an A-rank missing nin, but Suna received fame and recognition from Iwa for taking down one of their biggest headaches and retrieving _two_ powerful, treasured weapons. The bandits following Keita were rounded up in short order and put in prison. Some were deported to their home countries. Matsuri gained fame at home and abroad, and Suna attained political power.

Temari and Kankuro were on their way to Konoha with those thoughts in mind. His genin were still excited over the decisive battle they got to observe. Nobody died, but that only proved the shear potential Sabton held, not that anybody but Gaara and Matsuri were even capable of it. It was still an awe-inspiring moment in their short careers.

They left before they could get too much information, but the siblings knew Keita was worth more alive than dead, unlike Katsurugi. He was being sent back to Iwa to hold trial. They had another mission to perform, so they were carrying it out. They were to arrive in Konoha in three days, and they had very important information to relay.

* * *

Naruto approached Gayt and held out his hand. "Nice to meet'cha!" He grinned widely as he waited the heavily armored man to return his greeting. The only greeting he got was a small nod, like a half bow. After an uncomfortable moment, he scratched the back of his head. "Gee, tough crowd…"

Gayt's visible eye showed obvious curiosity. "On the contrary, I am honored to meet you. I am…" He observed Kanaeru for his permissions. The warning glance he got was the answer he needed. "…a faithful servant to Kanaeru-sama." It was an honest enough answer. He was still curious as Naruto was giving him an incredulous look. "Is something the matter? You may ask me whatever you want."

Naruto thought he was too polite. Plus, there were odd things about him. He never resisted sating his curiosity, so he asked away. "I've never heard a name like yours, and there's that weird, blue light zipping around you." Hinata gasped and was about to interject to apologize for him, but she was surprised by what she heard next.

Gayt politely nodded. "My name is foreign, from another continent. It means 'eternal warrior' as that is what I am." He wasn't surprised by the questioning looks from the three teens. "That, however, is a long story I do not wish to delve in. As for the blue light Naruto-kun noticed, _she_ is a longtime companion. Her name is…" He was interrupted by a loud cry from Naruto.

"You mean that blue shimmer is a living person?!" He thought he heard Hinata call his name in concern. "Gee, I never would have guessed that." After a moment, something seemed to sink in. "Oh, you were about to introduce her! What's her name?" He could have sworn she flashed red for a split second.

Gayt talked to the blue light in a language he didn't understand. She was zipping around while he talked, flashes of red obvious. After a few moments, his soothing voice seemed to have an effect. He rolled his eye after a moment. "I call her Star; I believe it's Hoshi in your language."

* * *

This is a much slower chapter as far as new information goes, and most of that information actually reinforces stuff learned previously. Chapter 1 really was meant to overwhelm the characters.

The way Neji spoke of Naruto at the beginning of the chapter is much more similar to what nakama means - a very close, trusted friend.

To alleviate any concerns, Matsuri _did not_ combine elements. She made a _Suna Bushin_ and layered it with a Suiton-based genjutsu.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,046  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Kawarimi _- Body Replacement: A very low level technique, _Kawarimi_ does as its name implies.

_Kage Bushin no Jutsu_ - Shadow Clone Technique: A very high level technique, _Kage Bushin_ makes solid-body clones of the user which dissipate after being attacked, exhausting their chakra, or being dispelled by the user. They know all the user's techniques, and they even transfer new knowledge once dissipating.

_Doton: Do__jinheki_ - Earth Release: Earth Barrier Wall: A very high level technique, _Dojinheki_ makes a solid wall of earth capable of deflecting jutsu using less chakra.

Sabuton - Desert Release: Roughly, this is the special ninjutsu Gaara developed thanks to Shukaku. In truth, it is Doton taken to a whole, new level. Unlike with Ichibi, Gaara and Matsuri cannot use sand unconsciously. It is a conscious effort and drains chakra faster, but it is worth the effort...as can be seen by Keita's loss.


	4. Chapter 3: A Princess of Konoha

TimeShifter: You know... I forgot I never mentioned his new battle dress. The colors are the same as I described and the look is similar enough. I'll have to either have the opportunity to describe it from an enemy's perspective or something... As for Sabton, I don't know quite that much about the Japanese language (sorry to say), but I did go back and fix that mistake. As for the talk Hiashi and Kurenai had, that will come in due time. It should be before Chapter 10, probably closer to 5. I'm keeping that 'legacy' pretty well hidden, eh?

* * *

**Chapter 3:  
A Princess of Konoha**

Kanaeru wore a smirk similar to Naruto's famous foxy grin. "Well, looks like everyone's getting along just fine." She clapped her hands to get everybody's attention. It worked. "I'm going to start your training right now, Naruto-kun." She was about to say something, likely directing Gayt, but she was cut short.

"What?!" Naruto screamed out. "Sakura-chan and Sasami-chan aren't here yet!" He pointed in the general direction they would arrive from. When he was awoken by the red-headed kunoichi this morning, he wasn't expecting to get right to training. He expected Hinata and Neji to be a bit early; they tended to practice some juuken as a warm-up.

"Eh?" Kanaeru gave him a long drawl like she didn't hear what she just heard. She walked towards him and placed her fists on her hips. "Did I just hear you disobeying your sensei, Naruto-kun?" Since he first met her, he was seeing for the first time her normally exuberant expression turn dark.

He vehemently shook his head. "N-No, Kanaeru-sensei!" Something was telling him to shut up and do _whatever_ she said.

She immediately brightened back up and stood straight. "That's excellent news!" She continued what she was about to do early as if never interrupted. "Gayt, I'd like you to train with him until the medics get here. Hinata-chan and Neji-kun are in no condition to spar with Naruto-kun today."

She smiled, and he nodded. He looked to Naruto and bowed lightly. "It is an honor. I shall allow you the first strike. Please, Naruto-san, come at me with your strongest attack." His visible eye narrowed; though, it was hard to see under the shadows cast by his helmet.

Naruto pointed at Gayt like he was stupid and was about to say something until Kanaeru interrupted. "Ah, that's an excellent idea! We've heard so much about the _Rasengan_ from Jiraiya-sama, but we haven't actually had the chance to see it yet." Her smile broadened. "Gayt, be sure not to move!" She was practically bouncing as she waved.

His eyes went wide, and he turned to his insane sensei. "You have no idea how powerful it is! It might ki-…" He was cut off by the murderous glower he was receiving from her, and he knew her unspoken command to 'do it.' He solemnly bowed his head and growled his frustration. After a moment, he made an all too familiar sign. "_Kage Bushin no Jutsu!_"

Behind him appeared a single clone. He held his hand back, and the clone prepared his hands over the original's palm. "Don't yell at me if he gets hurt." Contrary to his knowledge in _Rasengan_ and its power, Kanaeru was glowing with anticipation and glee. Gayt was as impassive and hard to read as ever. The blue light rested on his shoulder. He licked his lips as he heard the familiar pops and whirs associated with his technique becoming whole and floating a hair's breadth over his exposed palm.

Naruto heard the familiar whoosh of displaced air as his clone dispersed. He prepared himself to run full force; though, he knew his opponent's command was to stay put. It seemed suicidal to him, but he concentrated on maintaining the power and rotation of his deadly technique. He closed his eyes and took in a breath. Against an adversary, such motions were unnecessary.

When he opened his eyes, he sprang forward. His body led with his arm falling behind, and his muscles tensed to spring forward. He felt every fiber, every tension. His left foot landed just in front of Gayt, and his right arm rushed forward with every ounce of energy he stored up going into the attack. As he was told, he was not holding back.

Naruto made a clean hit. Recalling all past uses of his most powerful technique, Gayt should have been sent flying, or he should have at least heard that armor start to crack. _Something_ was better than nothing, but the latter seemed to be exactly what happened. Naruto thought back to when he first saw Gayt as he pumped more chakra into his _Rasengan_ to keep it going.

His eyes narrowed. He still couldn't feel _any _chakra coming from the armor-clad man. After a moment, he heard something he never thought he would. "Kanaeru-sama, please catch Naruto-san. His jutsu is about to backfire." There was practically no emotion in his voice. One could barely make out the honest concern he held.

However, his words came to pass. Naruto felt his concentration slack for just a second. It shouldn't have meant anything, but something about how the very delicate threads of chakra…buckled boded ill. In an instant, Gayt was growing smaller to his vision. He knew that meant he was flying backwards, but he couldn't control his limbs. His arms and legs flailed helplessly in front of him as he arched forward.

He heard a gasp from Hinata. He heard the breath catch in Neji. He heard twigs snap and grass rustle. Then his arched back hit something soft, and that something soft landed with a hard thud against the trunk of a tree. He felt chakra surge a moment before impact. The tree jostled but, otherwise, showed no signs that two high-velocity ninja just struck it.

Naruto's vision blurred. Hinata and Neji were running up to him. He felt a warm hand on his cheek and a soothing voice. His eyelids closed, and he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

He opened his eyes to a familiar feeling and smell. The water wasn't more than a centimeter or two deep, but it was enough to drench him. The sewer-like structure smelled dank, and it somehow reminded him of bloodied water. He stood and marched towards his destination. There was only one place to go in his subconscious.

Naruto expected to find Kyuubi in his massive kitsune form. He never expected him to be sitting on his side of an _open_ gate in his human form. _"Then again, I didn't know he _had_ a human form until the Fourth decided to talk to him."_ He stopped on his usual spot half expecting to have to run away.

Kyuubi looked up to see his host standing where he expected him. "I hope you didn't come here asking me to help you fight that kousotsu, kit, 'cause I'm not about to." He saw the confused expression. "You're sparring that armored freak."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "You don't have to be so rude." He paused for a moment as he considered something. "Though, I don't know how he managed to deflect my _Rasengan_." Worse than that, the power of his strongest technique was turned on him.

Kyuubi scoffed. "You really are stupid. When you wake up, just ask him!" He growled, frustration growing. "Why are you here anyway, kit?" He wasn't fully expecting a visit.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. I just wound up here after I…" He paused for a moment, eyes widening. "I hit something and fell unconscious!" He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, tilted his head, and tried to think. "I think somebody caught me…"

"Sit down, kit." Kyuubi was getting impatient. His host still seemed to be the same knucklehead he was used to after fifteen years, and he didn't obey at first just giving him an incredulous look. "I said sit down, so I mean sit down!" He quickly obeyed with a wide-eyed, dumbfounded expression. "There are some things I need to explain to you." He paused to watch the blond nod. "What do you remember from when the seal changed?"

Naruto scratched his cheek at that. He looked at the massive gates. They were wide open, and it looked like they swung in his direction and just stayed. He didn't feel any more or less chakra than usual, but he decided to blurt out his earlier assumption anyway. "Actually, I thought he seal broke…"

Kyuubi visibly twitched. _"Did he really forget, or is he _trying_ to annoy me?!"_ He made a guttural growl. "No, kit, the seal changed to say 'justice' because it was to judge me." He paused to think for a moment. His host was no expert on seals, but he apprenticed under one. "You remember when Jiraiya taught you the basics of _Fuuin_?"

Naruto leaned back slightly and again crossed his arms over his chest, per usual when he was thinking. "Yeah… I wasn't very good at it, but he said it was important for a shinobi to be at least aware of everything he could run across." He was surprised how easy it was to recall all his lessons.

Kyuubi smirked. "It seems the Fourth was a genius with seals; though, you probably knew that already." The blond genin nodded. "Well, the seal originally was meant to keep me separated from you and unwillingly share my chakra with you. This new seal might be called _Fuuinkougi_."

Naruto was skeptical. "Uh-huh, and what does an imperial court have to do with you being my eternal tormentor?" He had a feeling it was more accurate to say some unearthly tribunal was watching the bane of Konoha.

Of course, Kyuubi scoffed. "The fool sealed me with the Shinigami!" Then he muttered under his breath. "He had to use something I couldn't fight?" He heaved a sigh and returned his attention to the young man. "_Fuuinkougi _would be classified as a 'death' type seal."

Naruto pounded one hand in the other in understanding. "Oh, I remember when Ero-sennin taught me about that. Along with the 'blood' type, they make up the most powerful _Fuuin_." He sighed and looked downtrodden. "They also require a sacrifice to be made."

Kyuubi nodded. At least he didn't have to give remedial lessons. _"Yeah, and I'm trapped by a 'death' seal now. I should have expected as much considering I swore revenge."_ A thought crossed his mind. "Tell me, kit; of everyone you've ever run across, who can you absolutely never forgive?" He included himself on that list of 'everyone' but left it hanging.

Naruto's face immediately darkened. He didn't hesitate. "Orochimaru and Akatsuki… They've hurt so many people…ruined so many live!" He was visibly trembling. He wasn't scared. He wanted revenge for all the pain and suffering they caused.

Kyuubi looked up and nearly rolled his eyes. "Well, looks like it's time to wake up. Say 'hi' to pinky for me." Naruto was about to ask a question, but his body dissolved as he regained consciousness. "I've heard humans suffer when they are forced to be alone. I wonder if the Namikaze considered _that_ part of my punishment."

His eyes went wide when he felt a pulse, and he quickly stood. He looked around frantically. The feeling was unfamiliar, but something told him he should have felt a familiarity. He narrowed his eyes as he contemplated the possibilities. "It was definitely something in kit's chakra system…"

* * *

Tenten scratched her cheek as she looked at the mission file. "Not to seem rude, Hokage-sama, but why am I in charge of this mission?" She took a quick look at her teammates. Lee and Chouji made sense to her, but Ino seemed out of place.

Tsunade was resting her chin on tented hands. Her expression was decidedly neutral. "It's B-ranked, and I know you can handle it." Though her tone didn't betray it, she was confident in all of their abilities.

Tenten nervously giggled. She wasn't as confident as the Hokage silently was. "I don't mind protecting a village from bandits and supposed ninja, but wouldn't Gai or Neji make a better leader for this type of mission?" She hated to admit it, but she had never led a mission despite numerous solos.

Tsunade's eye twitched. She decided it was time for some of Hokage-style tough love. "Listen Tenten, you can't always rely on somebody else to take responsibility." The young kunoichi bowed her head. She opened her mouth to say something, but Tsunade continued. "You have the highest success rating on these types of missions, and you'll have appropriate back-up."

Tenten sighed in resignation. "I understand, Hokage-sama." She looked at her peers, not quite liking the idea of seeing them as subordinates. "May I speak freely, Hokage-sama?" Like Neji, she believed a serious situation warranted a serious and respectful attitude.

Tsunade almost growled at how overly polite the young kunoichi was being. She knew it was influence from Neji, and it may have also been some sort of rebellion against Gai. She didn't mind the latter. "Just don't tell my you're refusing this mission."

Tenten held back a snicker. She knew she was probably being too serious and polite, but she wanted information. "I understand my role as a short to mid ranged fighter. I can quickly see the battle situation and make judgment calls from a distance. Lee and Chouji excel at hand-to-hand combat."

She paused to glance at Ino. She trusted the younger blond, but… "I'm finding it difficult to place Ino in any battle plan." She took a deep breath. She didn't' want to offend Ino, but she was honestly having difficulty seeing it. "I understand the Yamanaka's skill with _Shintenshin_, and that can come in handy. However…"

Ino interrupted her commander for the mission. "Excuse me; you aren't forgetting that I'm a pretty decent mid to long range fighter." She paused to display her wide smirk. "Are you?" She displayed her confidence by closing her eyes, flailing one hand in the air, and resting the other on her hip. "I mean; I _did_ earn chonin the same way as anybody else, in the arena."

Tenten had to admit to that. She opened her mouth to retort that Ino won by making her opponent beat himself senseless, but Chouji chimed in first. "She can handle herself if we get into a fight, but we should also think about any 'what if' scenarios." He left the thought hanging to see if she would catch on.

Tenten was stunned for a second, and her mouth hung agape for a split second. She let the thought process. _"'What if' we capture an enemy and the rest get away?"_ Her mouth smoothed into her confident smirk. _"Of course!"_ She almost had to laugh at the simplicity of it. "Thanks Chouji, and I'm sorry Ino." They waved it off.

Tsunade coughed to get their attention and slid the folder closer to Tenten. When the slightly embarrassed team leader to the mission file, she leaned back in her chair and turned it slightly. She watched a small bird fly by as she issued her orders. "You leave in one hour. If at all possible, bring one or more of any enemy ninja back with you. I'm sorry, but unless there is a missing nin among them it will not affect your pay." She paused to look at them and ensure they all understood. "Dismissed."

The four politely bowed and quickly left. They had to get to their respective homes to supply themselves before meeting at the gate. Tenten was curious if she could handle the mission properly. It was simple enough, but it wasn't a B-rank she could handle by herself. As she raced toward her house, she hoped she didn't mess up as team leader.

* * *

He opened his eyes and let out a groan as he regained consciousness. The first thing he saw was a hand over his eyes. Then he heard a voice he had thought of as melodic since first entering Konoha Academy. "Oh, he's waking up. I was wondering when he would; I couldn't find anything wrong with him." The hand pulled away, and he saw it belonged to the voice, Sakura.

He rubbed his forehead as he sat up, and he saw a figure standing just a foot or two away; he couldn't tell. As he connected the feet to the legs to the…hips and followed to her face, he couldn't help but blush. Hinata stood with her hands over her chest. "Oh Naruto-kun, are you okay?" The look of worry was obvious on her face.

He was about to answer when he heard somebody making a commotion. He looked past Hinata to see Sasame verbally assaulting Kanaeru and Gayt for causing him harm. He shook his head before looking back to Hinata finding that familiar warmth in his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck not entirely sure what he was embarrassed more about. "Yeah, I'm fine. Must have gotten the wind knocked out of me harder than I thought." He put on his overconfident smile.

Sasame heard Naruto and turned around. She was about to rush over to him and catch him in a tackling hug, but she was stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder. Kanaeru didn't even look at her as she passed her and removed her hand from the medic's shoulder. She approached Naruto as Neji was helping him back to his feet. She smiled as Naruto tried to brush Neji off, but the older ninja refused.

She hardened her expression to look at Naruto. "I hope you learned something from that." She received cold glowers from everybody present, except Gayt of course; he knew what she was trying to accomplish. Even if she couldn't see it, she knew Star wasn't complaining either. She continued as if nothing were out of order. "_Rasengan_ is your strongest jutsu."

Naruto groaned. He didn't know where she was going with this, but his strongest technique was his original _Fuuton: Rasenshuriken_ followed by his enhanced _Fuuton: Rasengan_ and then _Oudama Rasengan_. A part of him wanted to brag about that, but another part of him realized Kanaeru was a foreign ninja and shouldn't be told. The latter won out, and he continued to listen.

She looked at Gayt. "An experienced ninja knows when to utilize his jutsu." She paused for a moment. "Gayt is a special case. I wanted you to use _Rasengan_ on him to prove a point. Just because a jutsu is your strongest doesn't mean it's your best." She smirked when she saw the sparkle in Naruto's eyes. He was curious with a spark of understanding.

Kanaeru nodded and turned her full attention back to him, and she continued. "I know who has trained you and when. They've concentrated on getting past your knuckleheaded exterior to retrain what was lost in the academy." She put her hands on her hips. "I want you to get these words etched into your thick skull. Don't hold back!"

Neji planted his face firmly in his palm. "I don't' think you have to worry about that." He relaxed and leaned against the tree right behind him. "Naruto's always rushing into things head-long." He smirked and looked to the blond genin. "He seems to inspire everybody to do their best with that attitude of his."

Naruto stood and stumbled slightly. Hinata gasped, but he rubbed the back of his neck to show he was all right. He felt warmth that she was so concerned for him, but he knew he was a fast healer. He turned to Kanaeru and Gayt. "If it's okay, I want to try sparring with Gayt."

Kanaeru's smirk grew to cover her entire face. "That's _exactly_ what I was planning." Hinata, Sakura, and Sasame gave her disbelieving looks. She ignored them. "I wanted Hinata to watch with her Byakugan, but she's completely wiped out. That'll have to wait until tomorrow." She directed Naruto and Gayt towards each other and to a small clearing. "You can begin any time."

Naruto charged Gayt. The latter reached his hand out to his side and tightened it into a unyielding fist. As Naruto watched, a light washed over his hand. As Star rested on his shoulder, a vague sword seemed to form in the tight grip Gayt held.

* * *

Tenten waited at the main gate, surprised at who was late. She looked at Chouji and Ino. They arrived at practically the same time. She didn't understand how Lee was late. He was usually so punctual. With a sigh, she calculated the position of the sun in the sky. As she did, she heard footsteps rushing their way. _"At least he isn't terribly late."_ She recognized his chakra signature, put on an angry scowl, and prepared to chew him out.

Lee came to a stop just outside a polite distance and bowed deeply. "I am sorry Tenten-san! I did not mean to be late! It is terribly un-youthful! However, it is also un-youthful to not stop to aid somebody in need. It was a tough choice, but I helped this nice, old lady get her bags into her house before I rushed right over."

Tenten felt her eye twitch. She couldn't be mad at him for that! Besides punctuality, he also never lied. Failing to build up sufficient anger for lack of a reason, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, it's okay Lee." She looked to Chouji and Ino; they nodded in understanding and agreement. "Let's go."

The four were quickly on their way to one of the mining villages surrounding Housekiyama. Producing some of the rarest and most valuable gemstones in all Fire, the numerous villages often fell under attack. The Daimyo assigned a samurai family, the Kumorigachi. They were fiercely loyal and handled most problems, but they still had a treasury set aside specifically for hiring shinobi from Konoha.

Tenten wasn't surprised when Kumorigachi Suichi petitioned for a mission. She was surprised the samurai couldn't handle such a low threat that B-rank was enough to cover it. She knew she had no right to dispute the situation. An important client requested help from Konoha. She was going to fulfill the mission to the best of her abilities.

They arrived in less than two hours, and their client was waiting at the gate to the main village. Tenten and her team quickly bowed as a show of respect to the older man and current head of the samurai family. He dressed traditionally and even wore his hair in the traditional style. His hair and eyes were dark, and he was slim from constant training. He wore his daishou blades on his left hip.

After a brief moment, Tenten raised her head to address their client. "We are here to accept the mission to defend Housekiyama from reported bandits and unknown ninja. We are honored to meet the keeper of this land, Kumorigachi-sama." She made sure to keep her tone level and respectful.

Suichi nodded in acceptance. He wanted more, but he expected exactly this. He only sent the funds for a B-rank mission. He barely even felt the need to petition Konoha for what was happening. He heaved a heavy breath. "Thank you for your prompt response. Frankly speaking, I didn't even want to hire Konoha for this." Worried they might be offended, he continued. "Don't get me wrong, I…"

Lee interrupted him, pumping his fist in the air and calling out with his usual exuberance. "Yosh! In this springtime of youth, we must do everything we can to protect this fine country! We accept whatever mission you give us in order to display our youth and strength of will! There is no need to apologize or thank us. We will carry out whatever it is you want us to do, and your youthfulness will prove valuable to you!"

Tenten slapped her forehead, shaken out of her serious demeanor. "Lee, I oughta send you back to the village right now! We are speaking to Kumorigachi-sama, the respected head of the samurai house here! You can't just…" Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. Turning back to her client, she bowed deeply feeling her face red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Kumorigachi-sama! I didn't mean to speak out of turn."

Suichi couldn't help but laugh. "Please, you can call me Suichi-san." He paused to look at Lee for a moment. "I like his energy…" He paused to scratch his chin. "Though, I could swear he's familiar somehow." He waved the thought off. "Anyway, I'll explain myself better at my house. Please, follow me."

They followed the samurai, not fully knowing what to expect. Ino turned to Chouji and whispered to him while being careful to cover her mouth. "What do you think so far, Chouji? I've heard they've never paid for anything less than an A-rank mission before." She was careful to take in the sights. The people seemed friendly, smiling and waving as they were.

Chouji crossed his arms over his chest as he walked next to his long-time friend and teammate. He was paying more attention to the smell of food in the air than the friendly attitudes of the villagers. "Yeah, I was thinking about that, too." They didn't spend all that time around Shikamaru for nothing. "Maybe Suichi-san doesn't know what to expect and is just being cautious."

She nodded. She couldn't help but agree with him. "You don't think he was expecting Hokage-sama to send a jonin despite the mission statement?" He nodded to her question, and she sighed in response. "I know Shikamaru's not here, but this is troublesome." They both chuckled, but further discussion was immediately halted.

The four stared at the gates surrounding the estate they arrived at. The samurai lord beckoned them enter as a servant slid the door open for him. They quickly followed, and the same servant closed the door and retreated to retrieve hot, green tea. Suichi took his rightful spot at the highest point in the room, and Tenten and her team sat where they were motioned to.

They sat in silence until the servant returned with a steaming kettle and five tea cups. He first served his master before moving on to the guests. Once all were served, the servant left. A final clack from the sliding door announced his departure. Suichi took a sip of his tea and eyed the youths to ensure they followed suit. They did to be polite.

When he lowered his tea cup from his lips, he finally spoke. "This particular group of bandits is not new to us. We have successfully fought them off our lands before. They usually are not any trouble to us." He took a couple sips of his tea. "However, they have grown more daring, and we recently found out why…"

* * *

Suichi and two other samurai stood before the main mine entrance. Suichi wore his brown, sleeved shirt while his subordinates wore dark-blue. They were surrounded by the corpses of a dozen or so bandits. They never bothered to count half-hour they'd been fighting. They were barely winded, but the sweat upon their brow told of the effort they were putting forth.

"These bandits are pitiful as ever." The samurai wielding a complex bow stated. "This was a bold move, but nothing more. They aren't even well organized." He notched an arrow and let it fly. He struck the unfortunate bandit in the shoulder that quickly dropped the weapon he was holding in his now useless hand.

"Suichi-sama, this is the largest attack we've seen." The samurai wielding a katana with both hands wrapped tightly around its grip. He gracefully moved to slice and arrow screaming towards them. "Don't you think it odd they choose now to attack us?"

Suichi didn't say anything. It _was_ odd that they attack while the four strongest were patrolling the village clear on the other side of the mountain. It was the lowest producing town of their province, but it was important to ensure the farming village was also well protected.

A bandit blindly rushed in with a two-bladed axe. Suichi could tell these bandits were use to intimidating with size and numbers. _"It's too bad for them that tactic won't work here!"_ He nimbly moved his wakizashi to slice the wood pommel off the bottom of the axe's grip before swiftly angling the slice to just above the bandit's hand.

In response, the bandit stumbled forward with a cry of pain. The first slice cut a tendon and several blood vessels in his wrist. In the instant before his hand became useless, the axe head fell and sliced his foot. The bandit knew he was having a bad day, and his life was forfeit. Suichi expertly plunged his katana into the bandit's gut, angled up, and twisted. The bandit fell dead and eviscerated.

They heard a bellowing laughter and three, loud claps. Out of the shadows stepped a woman with large irises and no pupils to be seen. She hid in the shadows, so they barely made out event hat feature. They narrowed their eyes to try to discern her more clearly, but she shifted her arm, and the samurai using the bow fell dead with a kunai sticking out of his neck.

Suichi face contorted into obvious anger. He was barely containing his rage. He knew, in battle, out of control emotions lost the fight. She merely raised her hand to her mouth and chortled in a high-pitch voice that would make the dead turn over in their graves. She snapped her fingers, and the bandits turned and ran away. "Poor samurai-sama, we're done playing for today." In a flash, she was gone.

* * *

Suichi was visibly shaking with anger by the end of his tale. "The man that woman killed was my brother, Daikichi." His voice cracked in his momentary weakness. "She did it easily and without hesitation. I know my strongest warriors can handle her, but I have an uneasy feeling she is not the lone ninja among the bandits. I've heard certain reports." He noticed Tenten had a question, so he motioned for her to speak.

She bowed politely before looking him in the eyes. "Were you able to see anything else, anything at all, about this woman?" She had a sinking suspicion, but she wasn't going to act on hunches. If they were able to see large irises with no discernable pupils in the shadows, a special doujutsu was only one of a few possibilities.

Sadly, Suichi shook his head. "We could only tell the assailant was a woman from her voice." He sighed in sadness and frustration. "She wore what might be considered unflattering clothes. They were very baggy, easily hiding all of her features. I can't even say how tall she was or how much she might have weighed. She left no tracks, and it's possible to stand on something to appear taller. Plus, you shinobi have other methods of hiding your identity…"

Ino threw her hands up in irritation. "You can't even confirm what you saw or heard if the enemy used a _Henge_! What's worse, you might have been trapped in a genjutsu. We really don't have any leads to go on." She was obviously frustrated, and a warning eye from Tenten did nothing to water down her ire.

Suichi nodded. "I'm afraid you are correct. It is why I specifically requested that a Yamanaka be included. On a previous raid, we managed to capture one of the bandits." He looked at the others present. "I imagine the Akimichi will be useful with the terrain around here." He had no reason to doubt the other two the Hokage chose, but he wasn't familiar with their clans.

Tenten rose. She had a mission, and she had all the information available. She turned to Ino, Chouji, and Lee. "Ino, you go with Chouji to see the prisoner. Lee and I will start patrolling the village and mine entrance. We don't know what we might find, so keep your mind open for any ideas." Ino and Chouji nodded and quickly left.

With a sigh, Tenten turned to Suichi. "If you don't mind Suichi-san, I need all information routed directly through me. I realize you're the mountain's keeper and our client, but…" She stopped as he held up his hand.

He nodded as he lowered his hand. "I understand. I _have_ worked with shinobi before. You follow a command structure I'm familiar with. Please, do what you think is necessary. We are all loyal to Fire and the Daimyo." He motioned their permission to depart.

She politely bowed and left with Lee. They had a job to do in Housekiyama. She didn't know what to expect. She figured the first thing to do was check the main entrance to the mines where the enemy ninja was first spotted. They were heading there as she thought over the practically nonexistent information they had.

* * *

They were hours away from Konoha, and Tsume was easily the most excited. Much to the dismay of Mori and Hishu, she was blathering on and on about her idol, Uzumaki Naruto. Among the few things they could agree upon, they just wanted her to shut up about the 'savior' of Suna. They weren't entirely convinced he was, but their own heroes swore up and down he really did save Gaara.

They may have wished for it, but, when she actually stopped, they looked back to her in concern. Before they could act, Temari caught her. Tsume was grasping her head and mumbling incoherently. Though still holding the young kunoichi, she was helping her brother look around for possible hostiles.

After a moment, Kankuro was certain nobody was around. He turned to his sister and Tsume. "What's going on? I haven't seen you do anything like that since…" He thought for a moment and rethought his statement. "Well, you only do that when you sense too much chakra."

Tsume regained her footing, but Temari stayed close just in case. She looked at Kankuro. "I don't know, Kankuro-sensei." She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she indicated the general area around them. "I can't even tell where it's coming from. It feels…familiar, though." She couldn't place it, but something in the back of her mind sent shivers up and down her spine.

Temari and Kankuro nodded to each other. The older puppet user spoke their silent agreement to his team. "Okay, we don't know what Tsume sensed, so we'll take it slow. We're near Konoha, and they should know we're coming. You genin need to stay alert and proceed with caution. Keep your eyes on us and each other, and we're moving silently from now on."

The genin nodded in understanding. They resumed as silently as they could. It was hardest for Hishu. Both Tsume and Mori had better chakra control, and their specialties included stealth. However, nobody was nearby to observe their efforts at stealth. The path was clear straight to Konoha.

* * *

Shikamaru stood before the Hokage with an incredulous look on his face. He stared at the mission file he held in his hands after she handed it to him. In his opinion, it was C-rank at best, but she just told him it was A-rank. "I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but I thought I was already assigned an S-rank mission." He looked at her. "First you stop me from going on a mission with Ino and Chouji. Now, you're asking me to take a second mission? This is troublesome."

Tsunade was hardly paying him any attention. She took to rocking her chair slightly halfway through his muted tirade. She might have been calmed by the birds chirping outside if not for the need to actually talk to him. "This mission _relates_ to your current mission. For logistic reasons, I need to keep it separate on the books. Besides…" She opened a knowing eye to watch his reaction. "…Temari's being escorted by Kankuro's team to _personally_ deliver the message." She added special emphasis to push her point.

Her all perceiving eye caught him stiffen slightly. He inwardly berated himself as he swallowed an extra-large lump in his throat. He sighed. "Troublesome…" Putting his hands in his pocket, he slouched and tried to look as impassive as possible. "I suppose you want me to show that troublesome woman around town again. You're always putting her in my care." He paused for a moment. "Any idea what this information's about?"

Tsunade looked him straight in the eyes. She knew how smart he was, and she had a feeling he already knew about Naruto's tenant. Still, she wasn't about to tell him. When she answered, she was straight and to the point. "Akatsuki."

Shikamaru sighed again. _"Of course, Naruto again."_ He nodded his understanding. "Understood Hokage-sama, I'll do my best." He turned to walk out her office. He was stopped at the door.

"I know you will, Shikamaru. I trust your skills." She smirked as he mumbled something and walked out. She was sure it was about how 'troublesome' it all was. When the door closed, she barely held in her laughter. She found his affection for the 'troublesome' sand nin cute. She stared out her window wondering how Naruto was doing.

* * *

Kanaeru watched Naruto and Gayt spar. The blond genin was proving a far more interesting match than she expected. Behind her, Hinata and Neji watched with Byakugan active. Sakura and Sasame were obviously anxious and constantly ready to administer emergency aid. Over the course of the past few days, Naruto managed to overexert and injure himself several times.

Naruto charged Gayt only to notice the armored behemoth prepare his right arm. Knowing what that meant, he ducked low and withdrew a kunai. A short-handled halberd seemingly materialized. The blond genin saved himself from certain injury with his quick thinking, but he was thrown back by the force of the top-heavy half-poleax. Inwardly, he counted. _"That's one."_

He was always amazed by the weapons the kousotsu utilized. He was used to it, but he only ever saw three weapons. He always saw a sword of some sort. It seemed to be the favored weapon. The second was usually a strong axe or bizarre drill. The third was unpredictable. He's seen poleaxes, claws, gauntlets, and even another sword, axe, or drill. Sometimes, the weapons themselves seemed to have unique properties.

The short-handled halberd was a first, so Naruto decided discretion was the better part of valor. He leapt to the cover of a tree branch to evaluate his situation, leaving a _Kage Bushin_ behind for distraction. He decided to observe the clone and rely on what it learned and transferred to him before jumping back into the battle.

It didn't take long. Gayt was an exceptional warrior, and he was able to cleave the clone clean in two in only three movements and without wasted breath. He looked around the area for his sparring partner. Another thing the blond genin noticed over the past few days was that neither could sense the other. Naruto didn't know why, but Gayt couldn't sense him any better than the other way around.

Jumping down from his hiding place, he ran through a few hand signs. He concentrated all his will on his target. "_Fuuton: _…" Gayt turned to face Naruto. "…_Kazeken_!" He cut his arm horizontally in front of his body, sending a powerful shockwave of slicing air forward.

Gayt raised his hand and aimed his open palm at the approaching technique. Naruto knew what was coming next. Star lined up behind him at a precise forty-five degree angle. She glowed brightly, and he called out his own technique. "Mizu Hashira." All around him, columns of water rose.

Naruto groaned as _Kazeken_ struck Mizu Hashira. Though several pillars of the latter collapsed, the former completely disintegrated. Gayt pressed his advantage by commanding the remaining Mizu Hashira to circle around to his front, and he rushed his opponent. The blond genin retaliated by launching several move _Kazeken_. The battle of techniques ended in a draw, and Naruto found himself defending with a kunai against a three-pronged main gauche.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He never saw Gayt 'release' his first weapon. He was forced to add to his count ahead of schedule. _"That's two… He's already used a poleax and a dagger."_ His eyes went wide as he noticed a crack forming in his kunai. He jumped back before the dagger could finish cutting through. As he stared down his opponent, his eyes drifted to his destroyed weapon. _"Glad these things are so cheap…"_

Hinata was openly gaping at the display. Neji shifted his gaze to her from time to time wondering if she saw something he didn't. He was the first to admit the little 'spars' between Naruto and Gayt were nothing short of amazing, but he didn't see anything to be so awestruck about. To him, the kousotsu seemed to be using nothing more than advanced ninjutsu.

Hinata saw something different. She saw Gayt drawing on an energy source she could scarcely believe. He seemed to be drawing energy from everything around him. She never saw chakra exertion like it before. She wondered if Neji had because he was showing little to no reaction to it. To her, Mizu Hashira formed from almost nothing. Like Naruto's _Kazeken_, more ninjutsu required a source. Gayt's technique showed almost no use of the water around him.

Sakura watched intently. Neither Naruto nor Gayt seemed to be showing any signs of exhaustion. They both had unheard of stamina. She barely stopped herself from gawking at the display before her. To her, it seemed both had an incredible reserve of chakra. She understood Naruto; he held the Kyuubi no Kitsune within his body. Gayt was the mystery.

Sasame held an expression between excitement and anxiousness. Naruto was doing well, but Gayt was easily holding him off. She knew from past experiences that the kousotsu usually ended up not requiring medical attention. At least he always waved off their help. She felt, however, Star might have used an unseen technique to fix anything which might have gone wrong.

Naruto charged Gayt once again. He reached into his jacket, collected shuriken between each finger, and flung them. His opponent held his hand out and pointed his forefinger, middle finger, and thumb at the blond genin, and Star lined up level to the plain of his arm. Naruto's eyes went wide, and he rolled to his right. "Hibana Yari."

A velvet bolt of electricity stretched from Gayt's outstretched fingers. It arced to each shuriken and stopped them all. They fell to the ground, and the electricity flowed to neutralize the built up charge. Naruto just stared at the spot he just stood. _"That…would have hurt."_ He looked up when he heard clapping.

Kanaeru approached the two. "That's enough. It's time to go to the main gate to see that old sage and see off Naruto." She was grinning ear to ear; though, she was willing to admit to herself she was going to miss the squirt. Behind her, she heard shuffling feet. The other four were following her, and she felt Hinata and Neji deactivate their Byakugan.

Naruto looked up with a wide grin and affirmative noise. Before anybody could say anything, he was already rapidly moving towards the main gate and the training he knew he was going to receive. Sakura rushed after him yelling about patience. Sasame just went running. Hinata and Neji took a moment before also giving chase. Kanaeru grinned and waved for Gayt to follow.

* * *

Hiashi was waiting outside the gates leading to the Hokage tower when Tsunade exited. She wasn't surprised to see him, and he quickly fell into step with her. He knew where she was heading. He followed to be a sort of support for his daughter seeing Naruto off. Over the past few weeks, the youths had grown incredibly close. Not just his daughter and the jinchuuriki, he was thinking of everybody they trained with.

Tsunade addressed Hiashi as she walked. "I hope you're doing well this morning." He barely nodded but remained silent. "Have you and Kanaeru been getting along." She didn't know what to expect as an answer.

He scrunched his face slightly. "It has been interesting to catch up on the past few years." He wondered if seventeen years really constituted 'few' in the grand scope of things. Nonetheless, it was interesting. "We had a few interesting discussions."

She frowned at that. The last few 'interesting discussions' she witnessed involved Hyuuga seals and Uchiha benefits. The two seemed to mix like oil and water. "I see. Has she talked to you about revealing Naruto's past?" She was interested in that point at least.

He shook his head. "She's more interested in learning about Naruto before revealing too much more information to him. To her, he still seems in the dark about his tenant and whatever happened when the seal…" He paused to come up with the right words and failed. "…did whatever."

She nodded. The scroll just _had_ to _mysteriously_ disappear after Naruto touched it, and it affected him somehow. _"At least he doesn't seem to be in any danger. That accursed fox did end up helping him, too."_ She was wondering what, exactly, what was going on.

After a few moments of relatively minor chit-chat, Hiashi made a curious noise. Tsunade looked to the main gate to see Shikamaru lazily leaning against the guard post. He was watching the clouds float by completely ignoring the guard talking to him. She rolled her eyes. He was surprisingly predictable. She was about to call out to get his attention when she heard several, loud whooshes.

She looked up to see the smoke clearing and a very proud Kanaeru holding her hand out in a victory sign. Her usual grin was plastered to her face as she watched Naruto and the rest catching up to her. Gayt was silently standing beside her. "Hah! I beat all you slowpokes!" The genin, chunin, and lone jonin were quickly beside her catching their breath.

Kanaeru then pointed to the gate where a lone, elderly frog waited. He appeared to be holding back a smile as he watched the sumitsuki act like a child. She turned to face him with as serious an expression as she could muster. "Hey, you promise you won't be hurting the boy? I've got 'im nice and trained for you, so you better not mess 'im up!"

The sagely toad laughed. "Oh, he'll be getting hurt all right. Even that tadpole Jiraiya found the training difficult and only partially mastered it, and he was one of my best pupils." He looked to Naruto. He owed this favor to _at least_ two humans whom made a contract with the toads. Jiraiya and Minato, after all, made a pact with Gamabunta…and kept the big oaf safe.

He hopped over to Naruto who was a little dumbstruck to learn that his sensei for the past three years couldn't even finish the hermit training. Worse, he even found it difficult. He wasn't rethinking the decision to take the training. In fact, he felt the words only reinforced what he was already thinking. _"This is definitely going to be worth it!"_ He almost jumped in the air.

The toad sage quickly brought him back down to earth with a swift swing of his cane. Naruto exhaled as his chest was violently attacked. "Calm down tadpole." He turned to Kanaeru. "Is there anything I need to know before I talk him?" He ignored the confused look Naruto wore.

She scratched her chin as she watched the clouds. She could feel that even Shikamaru was listening. "Nothing too important. He's been sparring against Gayt, so he's already got _some_ experience." She giggled and turned her full attention to the toad. "Though, I doubt he'll even recognize it for some time."

He nodded and was about to speak before a bold of lightning landed right next to Hinata. From the lightning seemed to emerge a shinobi wearing a hitai-ate from Kumo. In fact, he made a point to look directly at all the leaf nin before grabbing the Hyuuga heiress. He wrapped on arm around her shoulders to cover her mouth and the other around her waist to stop her movements.

Her eyes went wide in horror as she tried to scream out. She was unprepared and felt the chakra drain from her body before a blinding flash forced everybody to look away. Only the toad sage and Gayt saw the lightning bolt arc away carrying away the unknown shinobi and Hinata. Kanaeru felt everything but was still stunned.

Naruto was in shock as he stared at the empty spot she stood. "Hinata!" He screamed her name long and loud as the thunder clapped from the enemy technique.

* * *

Honestly, did any of you see this coming? Be honest, now. You can think about this until the next chapter. Tenten's mission is not irrelevant. I'm interested to see what kind of guesses I'll get as to the relevance of anything. Please enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,062  
Story Page Count: 16.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Fuuin_ - Sealing Technique: You can take a wild guess.

_Rasengan, Oudama Rasengan_, _Fuuton: Rasengan_, and _Fuuton Rasenshuriken_ - Spiraling Sphere, Great Ball Spiraling Sphere, Wind Release: Spiraling Sphere, and Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken: Naruto's signature, offensive move(s). In order, they are A-rank, S-rank, S-rank, and Kinjutsu.

_Kinjutsu_ - Forbidden Technique: These are techniques either forbidden to teach until a shinobi reaches a certain level or completely forbidden to use. _Kage Bushin_ is the former while _Rasenshuriken_ is the latter.

_Fuuinkougi_ - Sealed Imperial Court: Kyuubi is currently sealed within Naruto by the word 'justice' threatening to tear his soul asunder with one, wrong move.

_Daishou_ - Big and Small: In loose meaning, a warrior using the daishou style of combat often wields one long blade and one short blade, such as a katana and wakizashi

_Henge_ - Transformation: A very basic technique, _Henge_ alters the user's appearance to whatever was thought of.

_Fuuton: Kazeken_ - Wind Release: Wind Blade: A mid-level wind technique, _Kazeken_ sends a cutting wind towards a single target.

Mizu Hashira - Water Pillar: Gayt kindly translated the name of his attack from his language. Mizu Hashira causes several columns of water to rise from the ground to surround his body on all sides. The attack moves with him for several seconds, so it can be used both offensively and defensively.

Hibana Yari - Spark Spear: Gayt kindly translated the name of his attack from his language. Hibana Yari sends a high-intensity bolt of lightning capable of piercing to several targets directly in front of him. The attack stuns and damages all caught in its velvet hue.


	5. Chapter 4: Father of a Princess

TimeShifter: Even trained, shinobi still have a minimum reaction time. I meant to describe, and apparently didn't do so well, that the enemy ninja only appeared _long enough_ for everybody to take notice, see, and process what was going on. Basically, he was there and out in less than three seconds. As for explaining what technique(s) the ninja used, all good things come to those who wait. As for Gayt, I_ was _actually a little surprised that hermit training involved learning how to properly utilize mana in combination with chakra. The battle between Jiraiya and Pein gave me a little foresight, but I was slapping my head and laughing when I saw that, particular release of _Naruto_ because of my inclusion of Gayt at a most opportune time.

* * *

**Chapter 4:  
Father of a Princess  
**

Konoha was finally visible as they rushed through the tree branches. They were making good time despite the growing headache Tsume had. Mori and Hishu were, of course, worried for their teammate. They didn't know what to do. She was clumsy, not one of her traits. Temari caught her more times than they cared to count, and the young kunoichi actually looked frightened. Though her eyes like melted chocolate did little to betray her emotional state, she was shaken.

Temari and Kankuro halted the genin when they felt something up ahead. They were barely within range to see several silhouettes standing just within the main gate. The jonin were looking around for the unfamiliar chakra, too far from Konoha for the leaf nin to sense. After a moment of searching, their attention fell on something. They could only watch as a purple-green, long bolt of electricity arched from far to the west of Konoha.

Temari and Kankuro tried to steal themselves to rush ahead and help their Konoha allies, but another bolt of electricity quickly arched from where the first landed to travel far to the east and out of visual range. They stood wide-eyed as the genin began tugging at them, begging what was going on. The unfamiliar chakra signature was also gone, and even they could hear the anguished cry from Naruto mixed with the thunderous roar of hot, displaced air.

* * *

To say Hiashi and Neji were mad would be the understatement of any millennium. They were fuming, and killing intent radiated off them like rays of light from a star. Hiashi immediately turned to Tsunade, outrage obvious on his face even to a non-Hyuuga. As he was about to say something, she interrupted him. "I know what you're about to say, and I refuse." She stood rigid; though, her entire body trembled. She was barely contained rage.

His face actually turned red with his boiling emotions. "My choujo was just kidnapped by a cloud nin, and you're just going to stand there and do nothing?!" In the next instant, his back slammed against the guard stand which was _very_ recently vacated. The stunned guards looked on not entirely sure what to do or say.

She still had her open palm where it landed on his chest. The dust was just settling around her. "Don't you _dare_ say another word, Hiashi." She dropped social niceties for the moment. "Hinata is one of _my_ shinobi." She watched as and allowed him to stand.

He brushed himself off and straightened his robes. As much as he hated to admit it, her rights to his daughter superseded his own in any instance involving hostile ninja. After regaining his composure, he politely bowed and decided to act more formally than normal. "I apologize for my words and actions, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded, accepting his apology. She turned her attention to Naruto. He was practically leaking red chakra. The killing intent Neji and Hiashi were giving off could be handled. She was tempted to just order Naruto to go ahead with his training and promise to return Hinata safely to the village. _"Like that'll ever happen…"_ She sighed knowing her thoughts betrayed her. "Naruto, tell me who you think would be best for the mission?"

His fists were shaking by his side as he answered. "Shikamaru, Neji, Shino, and Kiba are the best trackers and analysts I know…" He turned a defiant expression to her. "…and I'm not about to be left out of this mission!" His whisker-like marks were already deepening and his blue eyes were rimmed red. His grating teeth betrayed elongated canines.

She sighed. "That sounds like a good five-man cell to send after her, but Shikamaru is already on a mission. As such I'll assign Neji to lead Shino and Kiba." It was common logistics; a four-man cell was only effective with a jonin sensei and three genin. She watched as Naruto was obviously ready to protest.

Kanaeru placated him with a gentle hand to his shoulder. She looked to the Hokage with her own ideas. "If it's a five-man cell you want, I can go with them. I'm an excellent tracker. As a master of seals, I have some idea how that enemy ninja was able to pull off that little stunt." Naruto sent her a weak smile in thanks.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She turned to the sagely toad, pleading for aid. She received none. He nodded his head, a serious look looming over his face. "If the tadpole didn't wish to protect his nakama, I'd be disappointed and never take him on as an apprentice to hermit training." He reached a webbed front foot around and poked his back a little. "Besides, these old bones need a little time out and about. I might just observe things for a while."

She was about to speak up again when five presences made themselves known. Kankuro and Temari bowed before the Hokage while Tsume, Hishu, and Mori waited just beyond the gates of Konoha. Temari looked up. "Hokage-sama, is there anything wrong? We saw something…" She was interrupted by screaming.

All eyes fell on Tsume as she continued to scream and grasped her head. She bent forward and violently shook herself. Her eyes were tightly shut, and she murmured incoherently between loud screams. Hishu and Mori were at a loss. They tried to approach her, but she squirmed out of their grip and away from the gate.

Temari and Kankuro appeared behind her and firmly took hold of her. They had some idea what was causing her reaction, but they wanted confirmation. Temari grappled with the young kunoichi to force her into Konoha and, specifically, closer to Naruto. Tsume grew more violent trying to get away, her kekkei genkai telling her to run away as fast as her legs could carry her.

Kankuro approached Naruto rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't exactly sure how to approach this. "Listen, Naruto…could I borrow a drop of your blood?" The reaction was pretty much what he was expecting. Everybody took a step back in surprise, and he had the two guards surrounding him ready to apprehend him.

Naruto shook his head. "What are you talking about?! I've gotta hurry and get after Hinata! The enemy's going to get away, and I won't have time to get everyone!" He only noticed Kanaeru still had a grip on his shoulder after she tightened it. He looked up to her.

She nodded to Kankuro. "He probably has his reasons, and Shikamaru and Neji are already looking for Shino and Kiba. It won't take them long to find them, and I'm sure _they_…" She indicated Kankuro and his allies. "…won't take long to explain what's going on." She looked to Tsume, half-sure she knew what was happening.

Naruto grumbled but acquiesced with a nod. Kankuro quickly explained. "Tsume can sense chakra, and really strong chakra can sometimes…get to her. Her clan has a way to overcome this, but it requires a drop of blood from whoever shot her nerves." He leaned in close, so only Naruto heard the next part. "It's the only way she's able to meet Gaara to get missions without this happening to her."

Naruto looked to the poor girl. Temari was holding her down and had a piece of wood in her mouth to prevent her from accidently clamping down on her own tongue. He pulled out a kunai. If a drop of his blood could stop her suffering, he could at least do that while he waited for Shikamaru and Neji to retrieve Kiba and Shino.

He sliced open his finger and let a little blood trickle onto the metallic weapon. He handed it to Kankuro who quickly went to Tsume's side. He rubbed the blood on the tip of his forefinger and streaked it over her forehead and upper lip. Her back arched violently and she struggled for several seconds as the thin layer of blood boiled and dissipated.

Her eyes like melted chocolate opened wide, and she looked around frantically. She thought living in Suna with the once bloodthirsty Gaara would prevent her from having to go through the Tomoyuki blood ritual. She felt pressure relax on her shoulders and legs which allowed her to sit up. After removing the wood from her mouth, Tsume saw Naruto for the first time. "Na-Naruto-sama?"

He wasn't sure about the honorific, but he felt certain warmth from hearing it. He opened his mouth to say something when the collar of his battle dress was grabbed, and he was dragged through the gate. When he regained his bearings and was allowed to move for himself, he saw a frantic looking Kiba making sure he kept up. He looked around and counted seven.

Neji was in command. Kiba and Shino, obviously, were found and joined them. Akamaru, as always, joined his life-long best friend. He knew Kiba was the one who grabbed him by the collar. That made five leaf nin. The last two members were Kanaeru and Gayt. He probably should have expected the latter, but Tsunade only acknowledge permission for the former.

Naruto found himself not caring, however. Whoever kidnapped Hinata was going to pay. He was so anxious to accomplish that single task he neglected to even listen to Tsunade for any mission orders. They didn't need any, though. The mission was simple, and rank was the last thing on anybody's mind.

They were going to rescue Hinata and **_kill_** whoever threatened her.

* * *

Tsunade turned to the remaining shinobi. The entourage from Suna had business with Shikamaru, so she reined in her rage just enough to talk to him. Her flat tone betrayed her ragged emotions. "Shikamaru, Temari, get to work on that information and process it with everything else we have on _that_ organization." She didn't need to say Akatsuki for them to know what she was talking about.

Shikamaru looked to Temari. "Come on, you troublesome woman, let's go." He slouched as he put his hands in his pockets and started walking to their destination. The blond kunoichi rolled her eyes and followed behind, quickening her pace only to fall into step with him.

When they were sufficiently down the street, Tsunade turned to Kankuro and his genin squad. "I'm sure Kazekage-sama sent you here for a reason. Temari can handle the trip through Wind, River, and Fire by herself, and she's _more_ than welcome in Konoha." Kankuro groaned when he realized her emphasis meant Shikamaru.

Tsume was looking towards the distance. "Was that really Naruto?" Hishu and Mori moaned in frustration, but she paid them no mind. "Why did he feel like Gaara-sama?" She felt the unnerving silence. Her melted chocolate eyes fell on Tsunade, and she tried to make her sightless organs glower. However, her face contorted into surprise when her sensei stepped in front of her.

Kankuro wore an icy glare he knew she couldn't see, but he made sure to make his chakra radiate with his anger. She cowered at the near rage. He didn't enjoy making her feel, as she described it, twisted up inside, but he needed to get his point across as her jonin sensei. "You know better than to be this rude! Just as I won't reveal the secrets of my puppetry to them, Hokage-sama has no desire to share the secrets of her shinobi!"

His genin quickly backed down not wishing to incite his ire. He sighed and turned to Tsunade. He bowed politely. "I apologize on behalf of my genin's words and actions. As such, I wish to offer up a small token of our appreciation and friendship." He was pretty sure he didn't need to do anything, but better safe than sorry.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. She didn't want to reveal Naruto's secret to fresh genin from Suna. She was sure it wouldn't go over well with what they were used to from Gaara, but Kankuro's offer intrigued her. "There's no need to apologize, but I am interest to know what, exactly, you're offering."

He eyed Sakura. "I'm sure you want to prepare a team of medic nin to send after that other team, just in case." He barely emphasized the last part, but the meaning was obvious. Tsunade crossed her arms as if to tell him to continue. He did. "Tsume is a member of the Tomoyuki clan, and the blood ritual does more than soothe her primal fears of very powerful chakra…"

He let his implication hang. Tsunade had heard of the Tomoyuki. They were a prominent clan in Suna with a closely guarded kekkei genkai. First suspicions based on their eyes often lead to the belief it was a doujutsu. However, it was a jirijutsu which was almost as rare. He caught her interest. "What, exactly, are you proposing?"

Tsume's eyes went wide, and Kankuro was about to speak up when Hishu decided to voice his concerns. Mori, not wanting any part in the argument, embarrassedly covered his face with his palm. "Kankuro-sensei, didn't you just say we shouldn't reveal our village's secrets just like she shouldn't?!" He indicated Tsunade with the pronoun.

Kankuro sighed, ignored him, and turned to Tsume. He knelt down to eye level and gently held her shoulders. "I'll leave it up to you, but don't just blurt out your answer." He paused, and she nodded in agreement. "We can be of help to Naruto, but I need to borrow your strength."

Hishu was about to argue, but Tsume beat him to it with a warm smile and gentle nod. Instead, he crossed his arms and sulked. Mori didn't cross his arms like his male teammate, but he was sulking in his own way. Their female teammate was too wrapped up in her idle worship to notice them.

Kankuro turned to Tsunade once again. "After the blood ritual, a Tomoyuki can sense that person's chakra from anywhere." He added silently to himself. _ "Well, at least we haven't found a limit to their range."_ Before the pause was noticeable, he turned slightly to indicate the young kunoichi. "If she concentrates, she can even sense within a half-kilometer radius of her target."

Tsunade knew exactly how to use the information she was just given and turned to Sakura. A knowing smirk was plastered on the Fifth's face. "Sakura, find Shizune and prepare a medical team to go on a moment's notice." The jonin, Shizune, was the implied leader, and Sakura was quickly on her way.

Hiashi coughed gently to get Tsunade's attention. "If you don't mind, Tsunade-hime, I should take my leave. This has been a trying day, and I need to check up on some items." She nodded, and politely bowed. "I'll send a branch member with my part of the reward for my choujo's safe return." He began his trek back to the Hyuuga residence in one of the worst moods his recent memory could recall.

* * *

Tsunade sat in her office awaiting a very special appointment. Her barely contained and controlled rage transformed into a calculated rage. There was no way cloud nin slipped deep into Fire territory without _somebody_ taking notice. As her fingers rapped on her hardwood desk, she thought about the preparations already in order.

Neji was in charge of arguably the best team for the job. Kanaeru reminded her too much of both Kushina and Naruto for her _not_ to trust her. Kiba and Shino were sure to kill whoever kidnapped Hinata if Naruto didn't first. Naruto was Naruto. He never failed to protect his personally dubbed precious people…unless they violently opposed him. "Sasuke…"

She was mad at the ungrateful brat, but he shared such a strong bond with the knucklehead. She sighed as she forced her mind back on track. Shizune and Sakura prepared a fine medical team. _If_ something happened, they were well prepared. She still wanted some confirmation before blindly sending such a valuable team into the field.

She looked up when she heard knocking at her door. She took a calming breath before she answered. "Enter." She watched as one of her youngest, brightest spies entered her office. She didn't' carry herself high due to a lack of self-confidence, and she still wore bandages over part of her body because, she said, the scales were unsightly. Tsunade felt she had to talk Isaribi out of that self-doubt some day.

For her part, Isaribi was glad she ran across Naruto, Shino, and Ino. She was glad they turned her world upside down and rescued her from her self-destructive path. She was only sad Tsunade had yet to find a cure for her genetic manipulations, but she wasn't upset or mad. She politely bowed to the woman who kindly took her in and even gave her work, well-paying work. "Reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade smirked. Naruto had a lot of excellent and respectful friends. Why couldn't he be like that? She steeled herself to berate the spy most likely to inherit Jiraiya's wide network. "Why didn't I get any reports that shinobi from Lightning illegally crossed the border with Fire?" Her face twitched with renewed ire.

Isaribi was mildly confused. She understood the reason for such anger, but she was dumbfounded as to the accusation. She cupped her chin in a bandaged hand and thought for several, long moments. When she finally spoke, she shook her head. "That's impossible Hokage-sama. Jiraiya-sama's border contacts report only Suna's contingent and a failed attempt by an Iwa attack squad to cross the border. Kumo and Kiri have been quiet."

Tsunade was both relieved and disturbed hearing Kumo and Kiri have been silent. She was relieved because that meant they could only be behind any incidents in Fire _if_ they snuck agents in long before Jiraiya returned to Konoha with Naruto. She was disturbed because 'quiet' often meant they were planning something. Pushing her thoughts aside, she looked to her dark-haired spy. "Do you have any suspicions, then?"

Isaribi was anything if not thorough. She easily connected miscellaneous pieces of information and formed them together in her head. It was a latent talent Orochimaru and his goons, her tormentors, carefully prevented her from developing. She frowned at the conclusion. "They captured Hinata; didn't they?" She was answered with a nod, and she sighed. "If this is a ruse, don't you think it one to incite war?"

Tsunade made her decision on the crack medical team. They were to remain on standby in Konoha until it became necessary for them to move out.

* * *

When Shikamaru and Temari arrived at the building housing Konoha's finest code breakers, Shiho was waiting excitedly. She was waving and fighting a light tinge of pink from creeping up on her face. When she saw Temari, she scowled. She was _too_ close to Shikamaru for a friendly walk.

They came to a stop in front of her, and he raised his hand in greeting. "This troublesome woman is Temari of Suna." He indicated the blond kunoichi beside him. "She's got some information on a mutual enemy, a lot of which has to be decoded." He ignored the tension forming between the women, and he had very concise thoughts on it. _"Troublesome…"_

* * *

Hiashi wondered sardonically if he was really _that_ predictable. Upon seeing the gates of the Hyuuga estates, a very distinctive figure was waiting for him. She wore maternity versions of her shinobi battle dress. He wryly wondered if she chose to wear that to conduct a 'battle of wits' with the person she openly hated most in Konoha.

He stopped at the gates and gazed into her eyes of double red-rimmed irises. He could always tell her emotions plain as day, so she never bothered hiding them around him…especially as of late. He chalked most of it to the raging hormones of pregnancy. She crossed her arms over her chest and sent him an icy glower. He motioned for her to follow, and they made short order of the walk to his private study.

Kurenai silently watched as Hiashi sorted through bookshelves and files. He carefully laid seemingly random objects on the table before her as he found them. She noted what they might be. They appeared to be photo albums, files, and…childish, handmade crafts. She stared at a few obviously with Hinata's flair. _"This isn't like Hiashi…"_

Three photo albums, dozens of files, and two trinkets later, Hiashi sat across the table from Kurenai. He picked up a blue, silk-bound album and opened it to near the end. She openly gaped at a picture of a woman with an amazing resemblance to Hinata. Obviously, the woman was _not_ Hinata because she was very much pregnant. She glared at Hiashi. "What's this?"

She couldn't help it. Her face softened when she saw that serene smile gently cracking his lips. He lovingly caressed the outline of the woman's cheek in the picture. "This is a picture of my lovely wife…" He paused to point at her belly through the protective film covering his memories. "…and my choujo, Hinata."

Though she still wasn't sure of the Hyuuga clan head, she wasn't about to stomp on his memories and treat them harshly. She gingerly took the photo album in her hands and turned to the first page. The very first image surprised her. It was a six by eight image taking up the entire space and cropped in a way to show especial importance.

Namikaze Minato had his arms draped over Hiashi and his wife, and he was smiling like only he could. The biggest, brightest smile she had _ever_ seen on a Hyuuga was beaming off Hiashi, and his wife shared a similar expression. Across the table, the Hiashi of now smiled sadly. "That was our wedding day."

Kurenai gave him a skeptical look before turning the page, and her eyes widened as she, once again, found herself surprised. She read the words centered between the two pages and read them silently to herself. _"Tsuchiko and Kushina: Friends for Life!"_ She felt a tear well in her eye before quickly sending an angry glare to Hiashi.

He leaned back, the sad smile still on his face. "While Minato was courting Kushina, he set me up with Tsuchiko. As irony would have it, he got to marry me to her first." He chuckled slightly at his memories. "Tsuchiko and Kushina…those two really were inseparable. They often joked about arranging the marriage of our children." He wasn't surprised by her response.

She stood with all the fury she felt and barely restrained from stomping her foot. "You _really_ expect any sympathy from me after the way you treated your own daughter _and_ best friend's son?!" She was furious, and she didn't bother hiding her killing intent. Her hand instinctively twitched where she would be hiding a well-placed kunai if she were on active duty.

He looked at her carefully as his normal, stoic expression returned. He was calm, and his expressionless mask was something she always loathed. He sighed as he spoke up. "Do you remember the chat we just a few weeks ago?" Oh, he knew she remembered, and her face darkened to prove it.

* * *

He casually walked around the corner and received the icy glare he was expecting. He smiled at the feminine figure hiding in the shadows. He took a deep breath. An explanation was long overdue. "Are you surprised I was concerned for my choujo?" He felt the killer intent coming off the woman. He sighed. "Please reign in your emotions. You could stress your unborn."

To this, Kurenai stepped out with a dangerous look in her eyes. Hiashi watched her posture. She was not the cool, collected kunoichi she usually was. She seethed with indignant fury. He knew this face was shown to few. In fact, he was sure he was the only one she showed this face to. Her lips parted to speak.

He held up his hand to stop her. After a moment, he bowed slightly. She was wide-eyed as he spoke. "I am sorry, Kurenai-san." He straightened and looked her in the eye. "There are things you do not know about, and you were the only one I could trust with my choujo's safety."

Kurenai lurched forward and grabbed Hiashi by the collar of his robes. With a strength few believed she had, he was forced to bend his head down to keep eye contact. "You threw her off on me, disowned her!" She closed her eyes to fight off the murder in her voice. She looked away from the man in her hands. "You expect a single apology would undo all that?"

He didn't move to get away. He could have easily disabled her and kept her at bay. However, he did nothing. "Please, Kurenai-san, listen to my experience. Calm yourself for your sake and, more importantly, your child's." It was no threat, and the jonin knew it.

Kurenai released Hiashi, but her anger did not abate. "Do not pretend to show concern." Ever since she met Hinata, she felt an unfamiliar sensation, maternal instincts. Her comment was incited by what she saw as fake concern for both Hinata and her unborn child.

Hiashi crossed his arms and stood composed. "I do not _pretend_ to do anything. I am either concerned or uninterested, and I do not change." He held up his hand to stop Kurenai before she spoke. "As I stated, there are things I have hidden from you." He knew he never said it directly, but he did imply it.

Kurenai looked at him annoyed. "What's so clandestine about shoving off responsibility for your own daughter, the supposed heir to the Hyuuga clan, onto some outsider? I was just a chunin at the time!" She was also sure he choose her completely at random, too.

"…a very well guarded chunin." Hiashi corrected her; though, she had no idea why. He paused for a moment at her startled appearance. For once, his expressionless mask broke, and he looked completely worn. "After my wife died, I was a completely broken man. My relationship with my daughters and brother deteriorated. What's worse, Hinata reminded me of her every day…"

Kurenai broke in with his pause. "You were a monster to her." She was taken aback when he winced. It was as if she threw a kunai through his chest. She steeled her resolve. He deserved no less than that. After a long silence, she started to fidget. It was unnerving, a silent Hyuuga. Their eyes made it worse. She paused as she eyed him. _"No, this is more like Hinata. He exudes loneliness and…shame."_

Hiashi's eyes fell to the ground. "I…almost hit her." Her expression was enough to know the question on her mind. "She made one, tiny mistake, and I snapped. It was the first time I yelled at her, and Hizashi stopped me from…" He looked up at her. She wavered in her control, and she was ready to pulverize him for even thinking about doing what he was talking about.

Hiashi turned his expression serious. He immediately quashed any insecurities. "I didn't choose you at random, Kurenai-san." He knew her icy glare too well. Kurenai hid it well, but he felt it the first time she arrived at his manor. "You were the only one capable of, at once, protecting Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan."

She froze at that. For the first time, he heard him refer to his daughters with adoration. The honorific was enough to calm her to listen to him. She still held her suspicious gaze, but she had a feeling the years might have softened him. She took a deep breath to relax her tense muscles. "All right, I'm listening."

He knew exactly where to begin. "I heard about your skills, and I had branch loyal to me keep an eye on you for months before I called you before me. You were on the fast track for success, and you were popular among your peers. You were also the worst candidate I could choose for watching my choujo in the eyes of the elders."

He watched Kurenai's expression darken, but he continued without hesitation. "I was running out of time. The elders were pushing for me to officially name Hinata my successor and brand Hanabi branch. Sadly, they also had suggested naming Hanabi successor and disowning Hinata."

She wondered at his choice of words, but he didn't let her interrupt. "I can't explain everything out in the open, but you can seek my out at the Hyuuga manor to hear everything. However, you and my choujo were always watched by branch loyal to me. They couldn't follow you on missions, but it was sufficient that I knew you were safe."

He turned to walk away, but she stopped him when she called out. "That's not much of an explanation!" He didn't respond, but he didn't continue walking away either. He hung his head, and she pushed the issue. "If you're really concerned, why not take me to your private study now to discuss what can't be said in the open?!"

His gaze turned gently to the blue sky and the puffy, white clouds floating by. "It's too dangerous right now. I can promise you this; I will tell you everything, and I won't hold back." He continued his original walk home.

She gruffly acknowledged his promise, but she decided to rub a certain point in. "You had better keep your promise. Hinata says her nindo is to _never_ go back on her word, and she got that from a certain 'loud mouthed' ninja we _all_ know." He was soon out of sight, and she slumped against the nearest tree surprisingly exhausted. She _would_ be making time to see Hiashi.

* * *

Kurenai was tapping her foot anxiously as she watched Hiashi flip to the next page of the same, blue-silk bound album. She was already growing less surprised. The new page was filled with Minato trying to embarrass the Hyuuga head in a variety of ways. Ironically, it was the last picture which seemed to embarrass both males. Kushina pulled a prank on the both of them and was busting a gut in the background.

Kurenai leveled her eyes with Hiashi. He was too calm. His expressionless mask was broken, and his smile was sad. _"What is he getting at?"_ She watched as he turned to the next page. It looked like a series of photographs from a double date, Minato with Kushina and Hiashi with Tsuchiko. They looked like they were having fun at some festival.

She almost lost her temper when he flipped to the next page, but she barely stifled a giggle when she saw the images. Kakashi, Rin, and Obito were at the same festival. Rin was constantly vying for Kakashi's attention, and Obito was sulking behind them. It didn't help that the prankster known as Kushina worked her magic making several of the images quite memorable.

Kurenai held out her hand and prevented Hiashi from turning to the next page. She was careful to not damage the delicate film protecting his memories, but she was harsh enough to remind him why he asked her here. Her tone was brusque. "As I told you before, Hinata adopted Naruto's nindo, and I fully expect _you_ to keep your promise."

He gently smiled at her before persuading her hand away. She mostly moved her hand to prevent the pictures from being bent. The next page was amusing. She got the feeling Kushina and Tsuchiko may have built the album together. Hizashi looked slightly annoyed being around his slightly older brother, but he was also placated by Tsuchiko's very calming presence.

She was about to speak up again when he quietly spoke and turned to the next page. "My relationship with oto-chan was always strained. Tsuchiko was our voice of reason. Because of her, he was able to talk to me and explain possible solutions to the growing rift between the main and branch houses." He looked at the next page he flipped to and the next with the same gentle smile.

Whenever Hiashi and Hizashi were in the same image by themselves, they looked annoyed. If Tsuchiko joined them, they looked less annoyed and _almost_ smiled. If Minato and Kushina joined them though, the party atmosphere almost felt alive even through the still shot.

As he continued flipping through pages, she started noticing a trend. Kushina was glowing, even through the still life shots, and her belly slowly bulged more and more. Tsuchiko soon joined her in the trend. It was _that_ year. There was no mistaking where the memories were leading. She shot him a harsh look.

He accepted it for what it was worth and spoke up again; though, his voice was strained as he fought back a lump in his throat. "Tsuchiko had a very rare genetic trait, a prized trait _not_ to be allowed into the branch. My marriage to her was arranged, but Minato didn't know that." He paused. "No, maybe he did and set us up like that to make sure we had a happy life."

He flipped the pages again, and she was looking at an image maybe a week from the Kyuubi attack. It was the grand opening of the shortest lived restaurant in Konoha history. "Hizashi told me the best way to keep my children safe _if_ they were also born with this rare trait was to _never_ tell the elders, but, if I did that, any child born after my choujo would be branded branch."

She slammed her hands on the floor to avoid damaging the albums or child-made trinkets. "How was it safer to dump Hinata on some newly-minted chunin's lap than to tell the prejudiced elders about her genetic trait?!" She was fuming but didn't stand in her annoyance.

He gently smiled. "Though Tsuchiko ended up happy with me, do you honestly think Hinata deserved to have _her_ life decided for her? Though Tsuchiko was happy with me, she agreed when Hizashi proposed that none of our children should have their lives arranged for them. We wanted them free to at least choose their life partners."

She suddenly wore a smug look. "You're saying you care for your two shoujo?" He nodded in reply. She carefully controlled her temper as to leak as little killer intent as possible. "Then what are you doing here doing _nothing_ about Hinata's kidnapping?!" She didn't care how hurt he looked.

He lowered his head as he barely kept his rage at what happened from boiling to the surface. He had not quarrel with the woman sitting across from him, and he had no business leaking his own killer intent. After a few moments to calm himself, he leveled his eyes to hers. "Tsunade-hime has sent a very capable team to deal with the situation and forbade me from taking part."

She nodded. She was quite satisfied with his answer and, most importantly, reaction. She signaled him to go on, so he did. "I made a promise with Tsuchiko and Hizashi, and Minato and Kushina were present to witness. I would keep my children as safe as I could from being sealed while keeping secrets of any genetic traits which may make them vulnerable."

He turned to the next page in the album. It was a week _after_ the horrible incident, and Minato and Kushina were nowhere to be found. The people in the images were sad, and an irreparable rift was already forming between the twins which even Tsuchiko was hard pressed to prevent from spreading. Were the Fourth and his wife also an integral part of their relationship? After a moment to her thoughts, she locked her eyes with his and asked the question which had plagued her. "Why, then, dump Hinata on me?"

He smiled sadly and closed the first album. He picked up the second one, with green binding, and flipped through a few pages. He stopped where the centerfold divided two pictures of Neji. In the first, he had a clean forehead. In the second, bandages covered his forehead. In both, he was smiling. "You have heard of the seals all branch members have etched upon their foreheads?"

It was a rhetorical question, and she knew it. She rolled her eyes, nodded, and was about to answer when his phraseology struck her. She looked at him curiously. "I'm sorry; did you misspeak? Don't you mean 'seal' not 'seals'?"

He shook his head. "At some point, the Hyuuga forgot how to do them individually. A blood type seal destroys information on the Byakugan after death, and a death type seal allows for bodily harm or death." He saw her about to interrupt but held up a hand to stall her and continued. "If it helps, the reason Hinata was 'dumped' in your lap was because she was already too old for the seal to work on her, and Hanabi was coming of age."

She openly gawked at him. She honestly didn't think his explanation could make any less sense. She knew it was impossible for a blood and death seal to be placed on a single person, and they both required a sacrifice. Of course, 'freedom' could be that sacrifice. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that?"

Once again, he shook his head. "Of course not. It sounds far too contrived which, as we all know, is a personality trait of the Uchiha." He forced himself not to laugh. "Nevertheless, it is the truth. We found, through trial and error, the original seals could be combined into one and etched onto somebody only between the ages of three and seven."

She opened her mouth to protest again at the impossible situation he seemed to be describing when his words dawn realization upon her. She blinked a few times as he sat in patient silence, observing her open emotions. Shuffling into a more comfortable position, she regained her composure. "Was that part of Hizashi's plan? You deceived your elders, so they wouldn't put the seal on Hanabi until it was too late."

Hiashi warmly smiled when the insight struck Kurenai. "I wasn't the best father, but I did what I could under the circumstances." He also could only pray his daughters could find it in their hearts to forgive him for all those years.

She huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "I hope you don't expect me to think any better of you." She looked to the remaining albums, files, and trinkets. Curiosity got the better of her. "All right, now I'm interested in all this stuff you pulled out for my visit." She spent the better part of an hour learning how much he was actually keeping up with Hinata through the years.

* * *

Hinata felt her world was spinning. Her eyes opened, but her vision was blurred. She barely made out the image of her captor removing his hand from hers. She barely recognized the position their hands were in as a hand sign of some sort. She guessed he somehow used her chakra to power his technique because she felt completely drained.

She tried to resist, to fight back, or just to anything. She was too weak to even fight to remain conscious. As her vision darkened, she saw her captor remove something from around his forehead and throw it to the ground. Just before her vision was made of blacks, she saw his head jerk violently. Did it signify anything?

She fell unconscious.

* * *

Neji was growing increasingly frustrated. The remaining threads signifying the chakra trail grew dimmer the further along they traveled. His Byakugan was strained to its limits just to see the faintest signs. They were still traveling east. He didn't know why nor really cared, but the enemy ninja weren't trying to double back towards Lightning…which was to the north _west_ of Konoha.

He was also disturbed that neither Kiba nor Shino were picking up any additional traces of the enemy's trail. He called a halt for the second time. They had already traveled for a little over an hour. He felt exhausted, and he saw how tired Shino was. Kanaeru and Gayt were a mystery still, difficult for him to read. Kiba was winded but antsy.

Naruto wasn't standing still. He was _pacing_ as if he had plenty of energy left. Sure, Neji knew his secret, but his raw stamina was still unnerving. The blond genin was also looking off in one direction. Being curious, he approached his blond teammate about it. "Naruto, I realize you're worried about Hinata. For that, I thank you, but what are you doing?"

Naruto practically exploded as he pointed to the east with a slight northern angle. "We have to find Hinata-chan fast, and I keep getting the feeling she's off in that direction!" He saw the disbelieving look on the team leader's face. "I know what you're thinking, and I don't know! It's a gut feeling, and I feel like following my gut!"

He was about to question saw something for his enthusiasm when Kanaeru interjected. "I hate to burst your bubble, pup…" She smiled widely at Neji's reaction to her nickname for him. "…but it's really the only lead we've got. I don't have Hinata-chan's chakra burned into my memory, so I can't track her." She leaned down, so only he could hear. "You know two secrets about Naruto, so just trust me here."

Neji nodded. She was right. It was his only lead. He turned to his team. "Once we're done resting up, we're heading out. Hopefully, we catch Hinata or our target's scent soon."

* * *

Temari leaned over Shikamaru's shoulder to see what he was up to. He was scribbling notes and comparing documents. She didn't know if he was seriously working or not, and something was bugging her. "Hey Shikamaru, aren't you worried." She smirked when she noticed the glare Shiho was giving her.

He didn't even look up when he sighed. With his usual, lazy drawl, he pretended not to know what she was talking about. "What are you talking about, you troublesome woman?"

She raised a brow wondering if he enjoyed playing the sexist. Although, he hadn't once called Shiho troublesome…though he treated her as such. She rolled her eyes and decided to play nice. Well, her tone was teasing and borderline condescending. "Oh, you know. Aren't you worried about that poor, little princess?"

He turned his eyes to look into hers. He felt a small rush, but it didn't show. He had a very concise answer ready. "No." He turned his attention back to his notes and the documents. He felt a sharp pain on the back of his skull thus turned his attention back to her. "Ow… What was that for?"

She put her hands on her hips and leaned over him menacingly. "What do you mean, 'No.'? Aren't worried at all about that Hyuuga heiress? I thought all you little leaf nin were friends." She honestly liked them, but he just seemed to bring out the…worst in her. She did wonder a tiny bit why she liked it so much.

He raised a brow and gave her an incredulous look. He wondered why she even had to ask that. "Listen, who did Hokage-sama send after Hinata?"

Standing up straight, she easily answered him. "Well, she sent the princess' teammates, cousin, Naruto, and two I've never seen before. I'm sure her teammates and cousin are excellent trackers considering their clans, but Naruto's just a brute fighter. I don't know anything about the other two."

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Take a seat, troublesome woman." She eyed him but obeyed. "Naruto has never failed to protect somebody important to him. The only exception being Sasuke, and _that_ was only because the jerk fought back. Gaara doesn't count because Naruto wasn't there until it was too late."

She quickly protested. "What does that have to do with you being worried or not?" She hated what happened to her brother, but it also turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

To his credit, he didn't roll his eyes or look at her like she was stupid. He just wore that blank expression his lazy demeanor long ago made famous. "Who am I supposed to be worried about? It certainly can't be Hinata. Are you asking me to be worried about those troublesome kidnappers? 'cause what Naruto's going to do to them won't be pretty."

Shiho decided to interrupt them by clearing her throat. "Excuse me; don't we need to get to work here? These Akatsuki correspondences won't decode themselves!" She barely fought her blush. The sand nin seemed a _little_ close to the Nara genius.

He looked at the coder and sighed. "Troublesome." Despite appearances, he never stopped his work. He was great at multitasking.

* * *

They had to jump out of the way of an exploding tag trap. It was an intricately laid array, and only Neji's advanced Byakugan warning saved them. They were hiding in whatever cover they could find as they spied the surrounding areas. Neji and Shino found traps all over the place.

The fact that there _were_ traps didn't surprise the ninja. They were near a very important village to the Daimyo. He had skilled trappers and samurai capable of waylaying the most skilled bandits. No, they were surprised at the _skill_ with which the traps were laid. No less than a master of weapons could have laid the traps.

He felt a migraine and blurred his vision when green whizzed through the area. He recognized the fighting stance and bowl cut anywhere. He stepped into the clearing only to be accosted by a kunoichi with a kunai to his throat. She hid her presence well, but he knew she was there. He was used to her chakra signature.

When a pair of pale, blue eyes and gaping mouth fell on him, he knew something was amiss. His own team was already emerging with equally confused expressions, and the kunoichi holding him leaned against him to get a better look at his face. He felt her body pressing against his and turned his face. He confirmed both their suspicions.

* * *

A tall woman with dark hair stared at the scene. Her face was hidden in the shadows, but the man standing over Hinata felt the piercing gaze. "Isn't she pretty, okaa-sama?" He longingly gazed at the sleeping form of Hinata.

The woman, apparently the tall, dark-haired man's mother, snapped. "Saiga, I told you to keep your hands off her."

He turned to her. His large irises were ashen green with the barest outline of pupils. He wore a shocked expression. "Of course okaa-sama, I haven't done anything to her!" He paused for a moment to consider the situation. "May I have her, okaa-sama?"

She glared at him, but her attention was drawn to the stirring princess. The slightest of smirks spread across her lips. "My Saiga-kun, you should consider Hinata-hime your dearest imouto-chan." If humanly possible, his jaw fell to the floor. He opened his mouth to protest, but she held her hand up. He immediately obeyed, so she continued. "You will not disobey your okaa-sama. Understood?"

His face fell into an openly upset but non-defiant expression. "Yes okaa-sama, I will obey." He turned to Hinata. What she heard of the conversation frightened her, and her eyes displayed her fright. When he shuddered, she wanted to back away from him. "Now what I was just thinking disgusts me, imouto-chan. Please forgive your onii-sama who's supposed to protect you."

Hinata was officially freaked out. She let out a small, indistinguishable noise before passing out. Saiga turned to his mother with worry written on his face. "Okaa-sama, I think I broke my imouto-chan!"

The hidden woman held her face in her palm and sighed. "Where did I go wrong raising you my Saiga-kun? Surely your father isn't that bad of an influence." He shrugged dumbly.

* * *

Oh my goodness...that was one of the best openings I've written in a while! That is...in my humble opinion.

I was originally unsure how the meeting between Kankuro's genin and Naruto would go. I'm rather pleased with the outcome, though short. I had a different meeting in mind, but this one just came out of nowhere and latched on.

Yes, I cheated with the scene between Hiashi and Kurenai, and I make no promises that I won't again. The incident from _School Daze_ needs closure, and my readers need a breather from all the fighting. I also wanted to try my hand at a little bit of humor thrown into a serious situation. Hiashi is under enough stress that his emotionless mask is broken, and Kurenai really _is_ satisfied that he has a real reason not to be chasing her down. Besides, who wouldn't be curious to look at those picture albums...? Now I have the sinking suspicion I may have reader outcry... Why?

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,002  
Story Page Count: 16.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

jirijutsu - Autonomic Nerve Technique: Short for jiritsushinkei no jutsu, a jirijutsu is a kekkei genkai often creating an extra nerve bundle for some autonomic, extrasensory purpose.

Joushinko - True Sight: Though not mentioned, Joushinko is the name of the Tomoyuki clan kekkei genkai. It is a jirijutsu which causes an extra nerve bundle to grow along the optical nerve. What the Tomoyuki are capable of is a closely guarded Suna secret, but it's safe to assume the nerve bundle causes both the melted chocolate eye coloration and subsequent blindness.

otouto - younger brother: The many forms of otouto include oto and each can be followed by an honorific.

imouto - younger sister: Yeah...

shoujo - daughter: Yeah...


	6. Chapter 5: Angst

samuelm2: Spirit? Pardon me while I go whistle innocently about nothing. Hehe, thanks for the compliment.

MASQUERADEstree: When the rarity of Fuuton was mentioned, it was in relevance to primary element and Konoha. I find it interesting that after stating how rare Fuuton is in Fire, no less than three new Fuuton users are introduced in a filler arc. Anyway, Neji and Sasame use Fuuton as a secondary, not primary.

systemman: Ah, a Gai/Lee fan... Yeah, I was wondering when one would pipe up... At least I proclaimed my dislike for Gai/Lee in _School Daze_. Nevertheless, it was only to introduce strong, backstory ties between Kanaeru and Konoha.

TimeShifter: Hiashi admitted things didn't go according to plan, and Kurenai was supposed to be a crutch to protect Hinata from him. That's why he apologized for tormenting her and accepts Kurenai's hatred (and his daughters if they so desire). I really need to work on transparency a wee bit... Also, I seriously hope _that_ doesn't come out in manga... It's far too convoluted and stinks of Uchiha. The restaurant was only important for temporal perspective. The pictures (and restaurant) might come up in a sub-story...they were meant to be kinda vague (depends on reader outcry and/or the ideas just bubbling out of control, whichever comes first). The rest of the questions get an evil chuckle and yet more innocent whistling.

* * *

**Chapter 5:  
Angst  
**

Neji calmly looked at the kunoichi leaning into him. Her large, brown eyes blinked as she stared at him. He calmly reached for the kunai at his throat and coaxed it, and subsequently her hand, down and away. "Tenten, it's impolite to gape." He smirked at the growing blush on her cheeks.

Flustered, she released him and took several steps back. She looked around to see who they had almost caught in their trap, and she tapped her chest in relief that nobody was hurt. After a moment, she sent Neji an angry glare. "What's the big idea? This is my mission. Doesn't Hokage-sama trust me?"

He shook his head. "We are not here for the Housekiyama mission." He sighed when he saw the questioning look. "I'm sorry, but I don't have time to explain. I'll leave it at this. Kumorigachi paid for four shinobi on a B-rank mission, no more and no less. We are on a special mission funded by Hokage-sama herself."

He turned to his subordinates for the mission. Naruto and Kanaeru were both looking off in the same direction. The former shook in anger, and the latter looked mildly confused. He cleared his throat to get everybody's attention. "Now that I know what to look for, we can continue our mission. We are in an area threatened by bandits, but they are not our mission. Avoid combat if you can, and we'll succeed."

They were about to take off when Lee approached Kanaeru. Ino and Tenten watched with mild shock as he politely bowed. Though Shino didn't seem to respond, he did raise a brow. Naruto, Neji, and Kiba were more interested in returning to the mission.

Lee raised his head to look Kanaeru in the eyes. In his usual, boisterous tone, he spoke. "I am sorry if I offended you somehow in our first meeting. No, perhaps I should apologize for something I did before. Did I forget some offense?"

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. _"We don't have time for this."_ Shaking her head, she decided the short, sweet version was enough for the moment. "You remind me of somebody I have a bad history with. I thought you were Gai's kid, so I thought to smoke him out with you. Feel lucky kid, I went easy on you." She turned to join her own group.

"Wait!" Lee stood straighter. "Gai-sensei helped teach me my nindo! Though I would be honored to have him as a father, I did not have him for inspiration until after I managed to succeed on my own strength. He taught me…"

Sensing a youthful speech, she cut him off. "I don't want to hear some stupid speech about youth. We have a mission. I said my peace to Gai, and I won't hurt anybody as long as a headache-inducing 'spring time of youth' speech isn't made." She didn't even wait for a reply as she leapt away, sure the team would follow.

Ino turned to Tenten. "What was that about?" She watched the brunette shake her head before turning to Lee. "Care to explain, Lee?" She didn't like being left in the dark.

He watched the direction they disappeared in for a moment longer before answering. "I do not know. She confronted me the other day. It seems my resemblance to Gai-sensei is offensive to her. It makes me wonder what 'bad history' she has with Gai-sensei." He was extremely curious, but even he realized he'd have to wait until later to find out.

Tenten sighed. "Well, at least we know one thing. If our traps surprised Neji, those bandits are in for a world of hurt. Now, let's reset the traps they set off." Ino groaned, but neither really complained as they set back to work.

Before she set off to work, Ino had one final thought to voice. "I hope Chouji's okay on his own."

* * *

Before they split up, the all decided on duties. Tenten was good with weapons and traps, and she trusted Lee. Ino was experienced with the human psyche, so Tenten figured she would be good for setting traps. Having experience with both Ino and Shikamaru, she decided Chouji was a good choice to search for clues where Kumorigachi and his brothers were attacked.

He wasn't having much luck. The area still reeked of blood, and it was easy to find the crude burial of the bandits. It was an open, mass grave with the bodies and weapons shoved in. Daikichi was already prepared for his funeral pyre, and his weapon was back in the Kumorigachi family vault.

With a sigh, he wondered if it would be rude to ask to inspect the body of the fallen samurai. His inspection of the area done, he made his way back into town. Maybe he would talk to Suichi.

* * *

Not sensing anyone in the room, Hinata slowly opened her eyes. She lost track of the minutes waiting for the shadowy woman and disgusting man to leave. Taking in a deep breath, she summoned her kekkei genkai. As her vision filled with the odd hues of the Byakugan, she suddenly felt immense pain sweep over her entire body.

As she worked to get the convulsions under control, she sensed a presence enter the room. She knew who it was from the chortle. She woman hidden in shadows smirked down on her. "My Hinata-hime, are you trying to use that doujutsu of yours?" She took a step forward, so Hinata could see the widening smirk. "Just so you know; there's no point pretending to be unconscious."

She chortled again when Hinata gasped. "I'm Yumiko." She stepped forward to earn another gasp from Hinata. "_Hyuuga_ Yumiko, and I've placed a special seal on a bracelet you're wearing which…blocks the Byakugan." Her pearl-white eyes shined as she sent a glower to the young heir to the Hyuuga clan.

"Wh-What do you want?" Hinata shook her head. She felt like she was swimming, and the pain from the seal left her lightheaded. When she blinked for what felt like the hundredth time, she noticed her vision was swimming in unfamiliar colors.

Yumiko widely smiled. "I suppose there's no harm telling you. It's not like you can do anything about it, and your village will never find us way out here." She decided not to talk about the group in Housekiyama. It might give her victim hope. "I suppose it's a sort of revenge."

Hinata gasped, and Yumiko giggled. "Oh, stop that Hinata-hime. It's so…melodramatic." She gave a smile the young heir might have thought compassionate if not for the shadowy woman's disposition. "Konoha's so rotten, and the Hyuuga are a cancer. Don't you agree, Hinata-hime? They treat their own citizens like trash or just ignore the problem."

In one of her rare acts of defiance, Hinata sat up and stared Yumiko down. "The village is _not_ rotten! Whatever's wrong, Naruto-kun will fix!" In her moment of rage, she ignored saying her crush's name and relying on him as a sort of crutch. "There are kind people, and I'll change the Hyuuga because I love them!"

"Naruto, huh?" Yumiko thought on the name for a second. "I've heard that name. He's the child charged with holding Kyuubi." She enjoyed watching Hinata's eyes widen, but she didn't see the fright she was expecting. "He's proof the village is rotten, and, further, he's proof the Hyuuga are a cancer."

Hinata opened her mouth to protest again, but Yumiko interrupted to continue. "The village could have honored the Fourth's wishes. The Hyuuga could have ensured his safety _and_ placated the village. It's a big cycle of hatred which was passed to your generation." She paused. "Though, I can see you don't share those same mistaken ideals."

Hinata looked down and closed her eyes. "Naruto-kun's always been so strong. He wrestled with the village's hatred while trying to find his place in it. He fights everything he thinks is wrong with his whole strength, and he never backs down." She opened her eyes to send Yumiko a glower. "My family, the _whole_ Hyuuga clan, are just…are just trapped."

Yumiko smirked. "Yes. They're trapped by tradition. It tends to do that. That tradition became a disease which was all that was needed to make the Hyuuga a cancer." She stood up and lit another lamp. Enough light shone to reveal her forehead. Again, Hinata gasped. "What did I say about that, Hinata-hime? Yes, I _was_ branch. As you can see, the seal is odd, different."

Hinata stared at the seal in stunned confusion. Where the seal normally glowed very lightly green, Yumiko's was a sickly grey. "Wh-What did you do to it?" She shook her head. "Who exactly are you? I've never heard of a Hyuuga Yumiko." She figured she would have heard a Hyuuga turned traitor, especially as Yumiko appeared to be younger than her father.

She was about to respond when she looked distracted and stared off to some distant object Hinata knew neither could see. After a moment, she shook her head and turned to the door. "Go back to sleep, Hinata-hime. I have some things to take care of." She paused before exiting through the portal. "Oh, and don't try to mold chakra. Another bracelet makes that a painful endeavor."

Hinata found herself alone in the room once the door closed. She wondered about Yumiko's sudden departure. She still felt lightheaded, but she fought that feeling to look at her wrists. She sighed. "She wasn't lying about these. I can see the seals, but I don't really know enough to do anything about them."

She stood and walked to the door. She frowned. "I thought so. If I can't mold chakra, I can't break this door down." She looked around the room and her frown deepened. It was small and bare. The only décor, if it could be called that, was a bed and changing screen. The room didn't even have a window.

She squinted her eyes. She was still seeing odd colors. As her headache disappeared, the new hues were fading. She wondered about it because of how much she was reminded of watching Gayt fight. With another sigh, she shook her head and walked back to the bed. She wanted to think, and sitting there seemed as good a spot as any.

* * *

Outside the room, Yumiko walked down the hall until she entered an open area obviously designed as an entertainment room. She eyed her son under the arch to the foyer. He wore an eager expression as he watched the trees sway in the wind. Besides Saiga, two other men occupied the room. She sent a sweet smile to a man whose back was too her while he sat and strung a bow. "Daikichi-dannachan, I thought you said your brother wouldn't act hastily."

Kumorigachi Daikichi looked up from stringing his bow. "I don't think he hired two teams of shinobi, Yumiko-okamisama." He continued to masterfully string and test his bow even as he spoke. "My death was masterfully orchestrated, and only Konoha's Fifth could unravel the jutsu used to make that bandit the likeness of me."

She leaned her head back to snub him as she retorted. "Are you saying they followed _me_ after Saiga-kun took Hinata-hime?" She was a proud woman, and she did not enjoy the thought of her plan being called into question. "There's no way those peaceful leaf nin know how to follow that cloud nin jutsu."

A string caught and sang as it slid across Daikichi's finger. He suppressed a pained cry as he gave his wife a confused look. "I doubt Konoha has the skills to follow you as easily or quickly as this. The jutsu was pulled off perfectly, and you were back here with Saiga and the others far more quickly than any other shinobi could travel the distance." He tightly gripped his bleeding forefinger to stem the flow.

She was about to respond when Saiga interjected. "Okaa-sama's plan worked great, as otou-san said. Rikka-oneesama showed me." He paused. "I'm sure she showed you too, okaa-sama. Those were the weaklings who saw me take imouto-chan." He licked his lips, and his eyes danced in anticipation of a fight.

Yumiko rubbed her chin in contemplation before walking to a darkened corner with curtains drawn around a cylinder. She slowly drew them back to reveal a girl who appeared no older than seven or eight suspended and naked in a thick liquid. A birthmark covering a large portion of the left side of her face resembled a tall, thin star with ten points. Her body curled in response to the light which revealed her skin to be white as freshly fallen snow.

She gently caressed the tube where she could see her daughter's cheek. "Rikka-chan, can you show me the Konoha filth?" The girl's body shook, and Yumiko's expression became distanced. After a moment, she shook her head. "Thank you, Rikka-chan." She turned to Saiga, Daikichi, and a short, hunched man looking older than them all. She addressed the eldest man first. "How's your chakra?"

He gently looked to Yumiko with eyes similar to Saiga's except in color. His were ashen red. He was bald revealing a wrinkled scalp, and he had to support his aging bones with a cane. "I've got enough to keep the bandits in line, okaa-sama. Daikichi and Saiga-kun can handle fighting the rest."

Rikka shook in her tube again, and the rest of the family looked distanced for a moment. When she stopped convulsing, Yumiko's face contorted into visible anxiety. "Rikka-chan can't tell us anything about that armored hulk, and the kunoichi is unfamiliar. Daikichi-dannachan, handle the kunoichi. Basuto-kun, keep as many of them busy with the bandits as you can."

She heard Saiga groan and turned to him with a sweet smile. "Don't worry, my Saiga-kun. You can handle anybody strong enough to slip through their grasp." She rubbed her chin as she considered who was coming. The blond boy was certainly familiar. She wasn't anywhere near Konoha when the Fourth sacrificed himself to seal the Kyuubi no Kitsune inside the boy, but he was no doubt that child. _"This might work out better than I planned."_

The eldest man looked at Rikka as he addressed Yumiko. "Not to be rude okaa-sama, but what threats can these leaf nin possibly pose?" He had his doubts of what such disease-infested shinobi were even capable of.

She smirked. "Why Basuto-kun, what did I tell you about underestimating your enemies?" He nodded, content with the answer. She waved her hand somewhat dismissively. "Go prepare our pawns. We should minimize how much we dirty ourselves with such filth."

Basuto chuckled as he walked outside. Yumiko knew the bandits would be prepared. Turning back to Daikichi and Saiga, she saw the look on her husband's face. "Saiga-kun, be a dear and tell Masato-sanban to prepare his specialty." Saiga groaned, but he acquiesced with a stern look from his mother. With his departure, she turned to Daikichi. "Well?"

He sighed. "You were always disappointed by me. You thought you could combine the Byakugan with what the Kumorigachi clan forsook long ago." Her glare told him he was right on the money, and she was very angry. "I wanted the power you offered, but I ended up disappointing you. Rikka and Basuto are the same way." His expression turned from soft to serious. "I'm going to be called Daikichi-yonban soon; aren't I?"

Her expression softened. "I made that offer not only for what your blood offered but that I did fall in love with you." She drew the curtains to hide Rikka, and she felt the thanks the small girl expressed. "None of my children are disappointments. None have the Byakugan, but their individual kekkei genkai all the stronger for it."

He finished stringing his bow and stood up. After mounting it on his back, he made his way across the room to her. "The timing is interesting is all." He smiled and shook his head. "I can guess a few things about the girl, and I'm sure you want us to kill as many of the Konoha filth coming our way as we can. My question is rather simple. Who is it?"

Her gentle expression was twisted with a wicked smirk. "You just stick to the plan. I'm sure my Saiga-kun will get to…test the one who caught my attention." He nodded but sadly dropped his face. She caressed his cheeks and leaned her forehead against his. "Let's seal Konoha's fate."

* * *

Neji held up his hand to bring his team to a halt. Because he couldn't sense Gayt, he looked over his shoulder just to confirm what his Byakugan saw. Shino recognized the action as strange and spoke up. "What's wrong?"

Neji shook his head. "Something strange is going on. We're not far outside Housekiyama territory, yet it seems the bandits are brazen enough to set up their base here." He pointed in towards what he was talking about. Everybody carefully and stealthily took a look.

Unlike the usual brutish bandits, the small huts and tents were hidden and camouflaged among the trees and foothills. Their trained eyes were able to pick them out, and they quickly traced the formation the huts and tents seemed to be in. They were centered around and protecting a cave.

At the cave entrance stood a tall, dark-haired man. His eyes were ashen green; though, Neji and his team could only tell because of how the late-day sun was shining on his face. Behind the team, Kanaeru spoke up. "He's the odd presence I sensed…" Her eyes shifted to look at movement behind him, and she was certain nobody else noticed.

Neji looked at her then the man again. With an active Byakugan, he saw the man was capable of molding chakra. Judging from his body size and chakra system, he was likely in his mid to late twenties. To his eyes, there was nothing 'odd' about him. "Could you explain yourself, Kanaeru?"

"Well…" She was about to explain when arrows and kunai rained down on them. They jumped away and landed in the middle of the bandit encampment. As they landed, they looked around the nearly desolate camp. She smirked, closed her eyes, and…giggled. After a moment and a few dumbfounded stares, she opened her eyes and rubbed her thumb across her lower lip. "Let's party!"

A cloud of kunai and arrows descended on the group again. A flurry of sound and motion was the only warning the few bandits got that the shinobi were on the move. The air was filled with sounds of bugs and a dog's growl. When the dust settled, the spot Kanaeru stood was surrounded by chains.

After a moment, the chains separated enough to reveal the wide smirk on her face. "_Ninpo: Ichiban no Kyuubi_! Let's rumble!" She almost seemed to disappear as she rushed the hidden leader. Her eyes widened in surprise for only a moment before drawing her right arm back, coiling her chain around it, and creating a makeshift blade.

The samurai bowman jumped back to avoid the first strike, but he was soon forced onto the defensive. He spun his bow masterfully to block strikes, and eruptions of sparks were the telltale sign to where they were engaging. The red-headed kunoichi whom he had assumed would be slowed by the chains wrapping her right arm now seemed to have more chains, and she was moving with extreme speed and accuracy.

Not to be outdone, the leaf nin jumped into action. Neji, Kiba, and Akamaru were quickly surrounded by bandits, so they were stuck dealing with them. Naruto made a mad dash for the cave where his gut was telling him Hinata was. Gayt held his arm out as sniggering bandits surrounded him, and he clenched his fist which was encased in light.

The ashen green eyed man at the cave entrance spoke into the shadows even as he continued facing forward. His lips twisted into a cruel smirk as he watched a blond-haired shinobi rush towards him. "Can I take him, okaa-sama?" He clenched his knuckles so tightly they could be heard cracking.

Hidden in the shadows, Yumiko answered her son. "Don't hurt him too badly, my Saiga-kun." He almost looked at her, but he knew better and restrained himself. She smirked at his unasked question. "The boy interests me; that's all. You might be calling him otou-sama."

Saiga grinned widely enough to show his teeth. "This is gonna be fun! Thank you, okaa-sama!" He pushed chakra into his feet and flung himself towards Naruto. When he cleared the cave entrance, he put his arm out and concentrated chakra there. It bulged by fifty percent, and he clotheslined Naruto.

Not expecting that kind of speed, he flew backward from the tremendous blow. He wiped blood from the corner of his lips and tasted iron from the cut inside his mouth. He was growing frustrated and angry, and he already felt the Kyuubi's chakra boiling to the surface. He forced it down with a grunt and charged his assailant.

Saiga took a moment to appraise his adversary. He didn't look like much, but Yumiko stated an interest in him. _"What okaa-sama wants, okaa-sama always gets."_ The blond genin stood and crossed his fingers in front of his face. Saiga whistled as shadow clones circled around him.

They all looked exactly the same. His sleeves were a very dark, forest green, easily blending into the canopy. His torso and pants were the same dark blue. His sandals, more like open-toed shoes, were a deep maroon. They were probably stylized tabi. Though Saiga didn't know it, the battle dress was relatively new to Naruto. It blended into foliage, shadows, and dead leaves far better than the bright orange used to.

Neji glanced over his shoulder as he sent another bandit a bone-jarring blow. Though the juuken wasn't a highly physical fighting style, the sudden thrusts, which could stop a body cold and send chakra into vital organs, hurt all the same. He already felled two bandits. He was surrounded by four more, making it hard to concentrate on one to bring him down. With his Byakugan active, he could watch the entire battlefield.

Kiba and Akamaru resembled one another. They were attacking in a unison only their lifetime of training and dedication to one another could ever hope to pull off. They were surrounded by broken weapons, but they had only managed to fell a single opponent. The bandits were much more used to physical blows than what Neji was capable of delivering.

Gayt was easily fending for himself. He utilized Star to pull off whatever strange techniques he knew. Perhaps because of how his armor made him look, he was surrounded by the largest group of bandits. He bobbed and weaved through careless strikes and thrusts. He parried and smashed weapons. Unlike with his spars with Naruto, Gayt looked bored.

Kanaeru was moving at unbelievable speeds, but her opponent was no slouch either. He managed to block or parry most of her strikes, but he only had a bow and was unable to retaliate. She almost seemed to be dancing around him, drawing him into some sort of trap. Like Hinata, she was able to use her natural dexterity to twist and shuffle her legs to circle her opponent and keep him off guard.

Neji took another bandit down and turned his attention to Naruto. The blond genin was having trouble with his opponent. Saiga read movements well, and he was sending his chakra into the air around him. Neji couldn't see it, but their breath was crystallizing into a light fog as if the air were frigid.

Naruto noticed and decided to send in clones with the _Rasengan_. Saiga turned, clenched his fist, and opened it in a clean, thrusting motion. The clones behind him were pierced, and _Rasengan_ dispersed. Not being able to see anything gleaming to indicate a weapon, he immediately protested. "Hey, how'd you do that?!"

Saiga responded by holding his hand out, palm up and fingers erect. Above each finger, ice kunai formed. Naruto took a step back. _"He uses ice!? I thought Haku was the last survivor from Kiri with that kekkei genkai. Including that guy from Greens, this makes _three _people I've fought using ice. What's going on?!"_ He quickly pulled out a kunai to defend against the incoming ice kunai.

* * *

Suichi looked at his guests. They returned to his home at practically the same time. Chouji was a few minutes ahead, but Tenten arrived with Ino and Lee not long after. Chouji was the first to ask for a word with him, but Tenten also insisted on needing to talk with him. They sat sipping tea. Ino wasn't present because she went to interrogate the one bandit he managed to capture alive almost a week prior.

He had a certain respect for his guest. As a samurai of a proper clan, he held fast to tradition, and they were doing well to uphold it. He set his tea cup down and looked at the three teens before him. It was hard to believe they were as accomplished as they were at such a young age. "I'll let the team leader speak first."

Chouji and Tenten nodded, and she carefully spoke. "Suichi-san, we ran into another group from Konoha while we were setting our traps for the bandits." Chouji managed not to act too surprised, but his expression was obvious. Suichi simply nodded. "They are not here to interfere with our mission or your duties. They were in a hurry for a mission assigned by Hokage-sama herself, and I felt it only proper to inform you."

The head of the Kumorigachi and, therefore, Housekiyama nodded his appreciation. As he turned to Chouji, Ino burst through the doors nearly out of breath. "I got the bandit to talk!" She held her hands over her mouth when she realized how rude she was acting.

Instead of being mad, Suichi beckoned her on. "Well, tell us what you learned." Obviously, it was important for her to rush in from the holding cell like she did.

She looked to Tenten first and received a nod before continuing. "He said these lands would soon belong to his mistress, supposedly a Fuuin master. I used every trick I know, and was able to learn they planned a raiding attack for…" She looked at the position of the sun in the sky. "…well, soon!"

Suichi rose and called his servants to start putting on his armor. He knew the Konoha shinobi weren't ones to call a false alarm. The blond kunoichi was also a Yamanaka, so he had no reason to doubt what information she dredged from the captive bandit. As he strapped his daishou to his waist, he noted the shinobi were already ready. He nodded. "Let's greet those whom threaten Housekiyama."

Tenten nodded and turned to Ino. "I take it you know where they're coming from?" Ino frantically agreed. Tenten repressed a smirk. She was going to get her chance to prove to herself and the village her skills as a kunoichi. She looked Ino straight in the eyes. "Lead the way."

Despite her calm exterior, she was anxious. As Ino lead the way to the point the bandit described, she was unconsciously checking her weapons. She was skilled enough that Ino, Chouji, and Suichi never noticed. Lee, however, did and came up along side her to speak silently with her. "You will do fine, Tenten. Neji and I believe in you, and, though Neji may not be here, he is rooting for your youthful display."

She gave him a soft smile. He may be annoying more often than not, but his heart was in the right place. Now if only they could fix his boisterousness and fashion sense… Inwardly, she knew the reason they never tried was because they hated fighting hopeless battles. "Thanks Lee. Let's just get this mission over with and put an end to the bandit menace here." She winked to punctuate her statement.

He pumped his fist in the air, and his voice was no longer silently between them. "Yosh! The fires of our youth cannot be doused by a weak threat! Our flames will consume them, and they will learn the errors of their evil ways!" He was so excited he didn't notice the disturbed looks he was getting from Suichi and Ino. Chouji managed to keep facing forward; though, he shook his head.

Tenten nervously chuckled. "Yeah… Anyway…" She was interrupted by the sound of a heavy object cutting through the air. She flipped backwards to avoid a rather hefty throwing axe. Lee timed his punch to shatter the head from the shaft, and the former when flying into the canopy. Tenten threw a kunai. "There!"

The target lurched backward as the kunai dug itself into his shoulder. He managed to hurl another throwing axe as Tenten withdrew her first weapons scroll. His eyes widened as the brunette kunoichi threw various implements of doom. One bandit down, the rest rushed from their hiding places among the flora.

They were stopped by a green blur which rounded them into a large group. As it started getting too cramped, those along the edge arched their weapons as they charged the 'wall' which held them in. They stumbled back with broken weapons and bruised bodies.

The second charge was even less successful. The ones to reach the edge first suddenly turned on their comrades and started attacking. Stunned, the bandits were fighting amongst themselves as they tried to figure out what was going on.

Suichi still had his hands on his daishou. He watched in stunned silence as Tenten, Lee, and then Ino easily handled the first wave of bandits. Chouji was standing next to him with a bag of potato chips, stuffing his face. He looked at the obese shinobi and decided to ask. "Aren't you going to help your friends?"

Mouth full, he answered. "I am." He saw the confused look on the samurai's face and decided to continue. "I don't know how much you know about the various clans from Konoha or mine in particular, but I'm getting ready for my _Baika no Jutsu_." He looked to his side and raised a fist in the air. The bandit who attempted to sneak up on him fell to the ground in a daze.

Suichi shook his head and drew his daishou. Being left handed, he equipped his katana and wakizashi opposite from how others might. He confidently danced into the second wave of bandits. He paid careful attention to how the shinobi he hired acted. Chouji fought by his side while Ino and Lee handled the first wave. Tenten divided her attention between the first and second wave.

Suichi lost track of how many bandits came to attack. He concentrated on his clan's dancing blade style and location of his allies. To him, the attack seemed too well orchestrated to be a wasted raid. Previous incursions always had a clear objective. He thought this one no exception, and one possibility was to wear them down for a stronger attack.

* * *

Basuto stepped out of the shadows next to Yumiko. They were hidden from the battlefield outside by the cave entrance and a special trap set up earlier. She looked to the elder man who seemed too old to refer to her as his mother. "I presume Masato-yonban is fully prepared?"

He nodded. "_Musouka_ is ready, okaa-sama." He turned to watch the various fights. The technique was to be used on Yumiko's orders. He found the Konoha filth interesting to watch in their fleeting, last moments. Of course, he knew his mother had an interest in one of them. He knew from Rikka that it was the one Saiga was fighting. He smirked. _"That fight is impressive."_

Naruto surrounded Saiga with his clones once more. He had plenty of energy, and he hadn't even broken a sweat. The energetic blond utilized his clone army to attack with _Kazeken_ and _Rasengan_ primarily. Saiga used his Hyouton to create kunai and throw them at the clones. Though he managed to disperse most of the clones with the ninjutsu, Naruto's taijutsu was sharp enough to land a few, harsh blows.

As Naruto was about to juggle Saiga in the air with more punches and kicks, he noticed cracks forming along his opponents body. He stopped his attack and watched as 'Saiga' crumbled apart and fell to the ground. He was quickly on guard. He formed a circle with his five remaining clones. _"A _Hyou Bushin_… This guy's good."_

He was rocketed backward as a heavy kick landed across his forehead. He flew threw his remaining clones, dispersing them immediately. Saiga was pleased with himself. "All right, I guessed the right one!" He was back to business quickly.

Naruto looked up just in time to see ice kunai hurtling towards him. He spun along the ground to avoid the initial barrage before tucking in and kicking out to get to his feet. He charged in with his right arm trailing. Saiga watched as another tight ball of energy formed. Naruto plunged his hand into his opponent's chest. "Tch!" He jumped back as another volley of kunai dug themselves into the loam around him.

Neji wasn't impressed by the bandits. They weren't strong, but they had numbers. Five lay around him in boneless heaps. The three who remained as his opponents were finally taking it cautiously. They were still within his range, but they were spread out. He couldn't waste too much chakra taking them all out one at a time with his strongest techniques. He had to be conservative.

He knew Naruto was having trouble. The man with ashen green eyes was skilled with his Hyouton. Though, he could have sworn Kiri 'purged' their land of the 'impure taint' of 'arrogant' Hyouton users. There was the foreigner Hinata talked about after the mission to Greens, but something was unsettling about the situation.

Not far away, Kiba had four of his opponents down. Of course, he had four remaining. He was up against probably the burliest of the bandits left in the encampment. He and Akamaru were breathing a little harder, but they had plenty of fight left. There were more broken weapons surrounding him than Neji was sure Tenten carried…which was saying a lot.

Gayt already had over half his opponents down. Neji couldn't count how many bandits surrounded the armored man. It wasn't for lack of ability; rather he was too concentrated on his own battle and trying to keep his eyes on the other goings on. Gayt was using a heavy lance. It was the warrior's way of creating a handicap to give the bandits a chance. It wasn't helping. The armored warrior was, by far, the superior fighter.

Kanaeru's battle was interesting. The bowman couldn't mold chakra like a shinobi, but his training as a samurai paid off rather well. He hadn't gotten a single shot off, but he was defending himself well. The battle seemed more a dance than anything else. Then Kanaeru pulled back into a stance remarkably like a juuken stance. She looked up to her opponent with a wicked grin.

Daikichi knew not to miss the chance. He notched two arrows and let them fly. He groaned when the chains rapidly wrapped around her into a loose dome. He knew he had to get her out of there. He circled around the dome and kept firing arrows. They were easily reflected by the metallic links. However, the air was growing progressively colder as he circled the dome.

Within the dome, Kanaeru was going through hand seals. She felt the air growing heavier with the drop of temperature. It wasn't much, but she confirmed another suspicion of hers. She came to the last hand seal and stopped abruptly. She threw her right arm out, and the chain separated to snake out from her arm. She watched her opponent duck under the chain to avoid a nasty whiplash strike.

He looked at the broken tree that could have been him. In a nervous sweat, he looked at her and notched another arrow. He blinked when the ground beneath him glowed a light teal, and he stared at her in dumbfounded confusion as she spoke. "You're cornered. Welcome to my _Otaki_. _Ninpo: Niban no Kyuubi_!" Gabbing her chain, she spun it before whipping it towards him.

He lost sight of her when she called out her _Niban no Kyuubi_. He didn't know what she did, but his vision was highly irregular. He barely managed to duck under her attack because he was able to follow its sound. His eyes widened when he heard her rushing towards him. He managed a block and quickly noticed something. _"Her attacks are weaker now, but she also seems faster…"_ He wondered if it was his imagination.

Yumiko's eyes widened and she barely contained a gasp. She turned to Basuto. "She can use Fuuin!" Her surprise gave way to anger. She sharply looked to Kanaeru. Daikichi was at a disadvantage, and it seemed as good a time as any to activate her plan. Saiga might be mad that he didn't get to finish his fight, but it wasn't his call anyway. "Activate _Musouka_, Masato-sanban."

Basuto opened his mouth as a low frequency noise filled the area. The remaining bandits swayed for a moment before passing out. Neji turned to face the cave entrance where an elderly was standing. Kiba held his ears, and Akamaru convulsed on the ground looking like the white-furred dog he was. Gayt was holding Star who was violently prismatic.

Neji fell to his knees. _"How did I not notice him earlier?"_ His vision was blackening, and his Byakugan was becoming painful. He fell unconscious to the ground just after hearing Kiba fall.

Yumiko watched as the red-headed kunoichi slowed. She somehow managed to keep attacking Daikichi even as the effects of _Musouka_ started. Her chain slowly retracted and seemed to lose flexibility. She came to a stop and fell to her knees. She looked right at Naruto and fell to the soft soil.

Daikichi stood, sweating and panting. He fell back to lean against a tree and looked to Yumiko. "That woman was _tough_!" He eyed his bow. There were new nicks he'd have to buff out, and all his work stringing turned to be for naught. The strings were strained and frayed. "Looks like we won't be able to attack Housekiyama on schedule. How's Basuto doing?"

Yumiko looked to Basuto. He closed his mouth and looked around the once battlefield. "Suichi and the shinobi he hired are very skilled. They are only just starting to weaken from exhaustion, and I can tell they have plenty of stamina left." He paused. "Though, you can thank Rikka for that."

Saiga walked up to Yumiko and Basuto with Naruto draped over his shoulder. "Aw, you coulda let me have more fun, okaa-sama." He indicated the unconscious blond. "He was real powerful, and it was getting to the best part." He was obviously complaining childishly.

Yumiko took the final few steps towards him and patted him on the cheeks like a doting parent. "My Saiga-kun, you can't go hurting your new otou-sama like that." She saw the sulking face Daikichi was making as he slung his bow over his back and approached them. "Don't worry Daikichi-dannachan; the boy still needs a few years to grow."

He sighed, but his smile was soft and genuine. "That's good to hear, Yumiko-okamisama. I'd like to be your danna-chan at least until we throw out the garbage." Looking over his shoulder, he snarled at Neji, Kiba, and Akamaru. Kanaeru and Gayt were unknowns, and they were obviously _not_ from Konoha. "What kind of fate have you left them?"

* * *

Neji awoke holding his head. As he stood up, he saw nothing. He looked around. He knew his eyes were open, and he knew there was light. His eye muscles were working, and he felt the warmth. However, there was a stinging pain across his forehead and temples.

He reached his hands up to see if he could feel what was wrong. When he touched his forehead, he felt something unnerving. There were _seals_ carved over the Hyuuga curse seal, and they extended down past his forehead. He could feel them, but he couldn't recognize them. As much as he hated admitting it, he didn't know much about seals and their implementation.

The thoughts entered his mind. Was he blind? Was he alone? He called out. "Kiba? Akamaru? Naruto? Kanaeru? Gayt?" He spoke their names with increasing panic. He blinked. Did he really feel _panic_? He swallowed his pride. He had to admit that. "Is anybody there?"

* * *

Kiba awoke to the heavy smell of blood. The stench was rank, but he couldn't get over the familiarity of it. He tried to open his eyes, but something thick caked them shut. He rubbed his eyes, and clumps of what his nose identified as blood flaked off. It wasn't just any blood. It was Akamaru's!

He shot to a seated position and looked around, but he felt a weight fall from his chest to his lap. He looked down, and it felt like cold death clutched his heart. Akamaru's head lay in his lap. A nasty gash split his maw, and it looked like some blunt force caved the side of his skull in. He openly wept as he embraced his fallen friend; he didn't care who might be watching or if he might be next.

* * *

Akamaru whined as he shook his head and tried to shake the clumps of dried blood from his fur and ears. For the first time he could remember, he couldn't hear the steady breathing or excitable heartbeat of his human companion. The worrisome thing was Kiba's scent was very close by.

He followed the scent to a grey heap not too far away. It smelled heavily of Kiba, and there were no signs of anybody moving from that spot. Akamaru looked around. The signs of a struggle were everywhere, and it looked like whoever was fighting was led here… He nudged his companion to try to wake him, and he howled to the cloudy skies in dismay.

* * *

Gayt growled in open defiance to the demon standing before him. The creature was his most hated foe. It was a giant, red ogre, and it was tapping its massive club across its shoulder. Gayt didn't know or care if the creature had a gender, let along what it was. He stood before it without his armor.

The creature laughed at his pitiful state. He was in rags. His dark hair was long and covered his forehead and eyes, and a thick beard and mustache prevented any other details of his face from being seen. He was unkempt, and his clothes were little more than rags barely covering his scrawny body. He looked like a starving man in his mid-twenties.

He reached his arm out and gripped his hand in a fist. He knew it wouldn't work, but he still felt like pulling a weapon from seeming ether and disemboweling and beheading the ogre. "This isn't real. A creature of Jigoku has no power." The ogre sneered at him, and he sneered right back.

* * *

Kanaeru stood in the middle of a village engulfed in flames. She watched as a massive beast with nine tails attacked. It looked distinctly like a fox. She was rather calm for the death and destruction happening around her. She turned to watch a familiar, pasty-skinned traitor run by. He was scared. He should be.

She walked in the direction he ran from. "Orochimaru was a coward. He relied on becoming a fake immortal, and he even used Akatsuki to do it." She paused in her walk to look around. The forest was in flames, and shinobi were running around trying to contain the carnage. "Two years after I left Konoha for Whirlpool… I hadn't seen Konoha since."

Looking down, she pushed some dead foliage and leaves out of the way. Through it, she saw lightly glowing lines and words. "I can't say this was in bad taste, but Fuuin against a sumitsuki?" She paused to laugh. "They really don't know who they're messing with." She knelt down and inspected what she could see of the seal.

After a few moments, she sighed. "It was masterfully done. Whoever they are, they are well accomplished. If this weren't a genjutsu, it might be a whole lot easier." She shook her head. As much as she hated to admit it, genjutsu were just a big weakness. "However, this is a genjutsu amplified and controlled by Fuuin."

She bit her thumb and squeezed it to get just the right amount of blood before running through a string of hand seals. She didn't call anything out as she slammed her hand into the ground and let her blood soak into the enemy's seal. As she stood up, the vision induced by _Musouka _faded.

She knew she didn't have much time, so she got to work. She summoned up _Tsuchi Bushin_ and rushed to Neji, Kiba, Akamaru, and Gayt's sides. She sent several for Naruto, but they dispensed with her clones quickly in spite of being surprised. Gayt was the first to recover, so he was able to walk on his own and take Kiba and Akamaru.

Leaving her clones behind as a distraction, Kanaeru carried Neji and leapt away with Gayt close behind. Star was flashing between blue and white as she communicated her concerns. She was obviously distressed, but they needed to get away for the time being. It was best to withdraw and regroup.

Gayt kept his eyes straight ahead even as he relayed his own concerns along with Star's. "What about Naruto-dono, Kanaeru-sama?" He didn't know what technique was used, and that only increased his concern.

Her jaw trembled as she answered. She was furious. "The kit's going to be okay. I was able to sense some of their motives, and they were interested in _capturing_ him!" She kept her gaze ahead, but she fixated her attention on Naruto's location. "Whatever they did to us, he isn't experiencing it."

* * *

It was weird. Naruto had to admit it. He always tried to get Sakura to go on dates with him, but now he was on a date with Hinata. As enjoyable as it was turning out to be, there was a problem.

He _knew_ it was fake. He didn't want it to be fake, but the training with Ero-sennin told him otherwise. He tried releasing himself from the genjutsu several times, but nothing worked. It seemed too real, and he was _really_ enjoying it.

He was enjoying the attention. He was enjoying giving attention. He liked the food. Scratch that, he _really_ liked the food. Hinata was a great cook, and he knew it. She had a knack for that sort of thing, and it even extended to making interesting concoctions for treating wounds or ailments.

Another problem popped into his head. Why was he experiencing this in a genjutsu? Was the enemy purposely targeting him in such a way? Did they know about him? Worse, did they know about what was inside of him? _"Why did this genjutsu have to be so nice?!"_ He was frustrated, and he pulled at his hair.

The date was over far too quickly, and they were sitting on a bench outside the Hyuuga estates. The genjutsu was just more than just obvious. Even he could recognize it without it biting him in the nose as hard as it was. Still, he couldn't help but enjoy it.

Then a woman he'd never met before seemed to melt out of the wall in front of them. Hinata didn't mind the sight, and she even curled tighter up to him in anticipation of…something. The woman looked like a Hyuuga with her eyes, and she appeared to be branch…except her seal was weird.

* * *

I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, _hate_ Uchiha! Seriously, you die Sasuke! Argh! Still, I didn't like Killerbee either... Raikage's reaction was awesome, though. That said; I am still planning on using Sasuke as a plot device in this story. Based on a reader or readers figuring out a few questions (like Naruto's legacy or what Sasuke's personal agenda might be), I may introduce him to this story a little earlier than I currently have planned (which is approximately third story arc at the moment).

I have a certain soft spot for Rikka (fatherly, I assure you). Saiga and Basuto are interesting, and the whole family is just fun. Unlike the other villainous original characters I've introduced up to now, they have some interesting backstory which will actually come out in future chapters. Hope you enjoy 'cause I know I'm going to surpirse some readers (good or bad?) when things come further into the light.

This chapter is a little later than normal because my boss worked me to the bone this past week. I swear; my vacation is coming up, so he works me _harder_! However, I only said it would be out on Sunday. That means, using MST, between 12:01am Sunday and 12:01am Monday.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,029  
Story Page Count: 16.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

danna: husband

okami: wife

_Ninpo: Ichiban no Kyuubi_ - Ninja Art: First of the Nine Tails: An offensive and deffensive art, _Ichiban no Kyuubi_ is a powerful fighting technique utilizing a long whip or chain. It relies on speed and seals, and the user focuses chakra through the chain or whip to allow it free movement.

_Baika no Jutsu_ - Double Size Technique: A general term I'm using for the Akimichi clan's body-expanding techniques.

_Musouka_ - The Dreamer: _Musouka_ is a powerful Fuuin-enhanced genjutsu. It is capable of completely sealing a target or targets into a dreamlike state. It either requires a high level of training or specialized chakra. The seal required for the technique must be drawn around the victim or target area. If set up in advance, the proper amount of charka simply must be provided. It is a high level genjutsu.

Hyouton - Ice Release: Hyouton is a kekkei genkai which combines wind and water based chakra. More will be revealed later on how Saiga has it.

_Hyou Bushin_ - Ice Clone: A mid-level technique, _Hyou Bushin_ creates a solid clone much like _Kage Bushin_.

_Otaki_ - Cascade: A low- to mid- level Fuuin inscribed on the ground, _Otaki_ attacks the vision of those standing on top of it, unless otherwise protected. It works similiarly to a genjutsu in that colors of the victim(s) cascade and blend uncontrollably. It is not a genjutsu, however.

_Ninpo: Niban no Kyuubi _- Ninja Art: Second of the Nine Tails: An offensive and deffensive art, _Niban no Kyuubi_ divides the user's attention between the fighting technique and a single seal. It has greater speed, but the power is reduced.

Jigoku: A plane of punishment in Japanese mythology, Jigoku is the equivelant to Greco-Roman bad Underworld or Judeo-Christian Hell.

_Tsuchi Bushin no jutsu_: Earth Clone Technique: Take a wild guess...


	7. Chapter 6: Will Never Fulfilled

TimeShifter: All good things to those who wait and all that jargon. One thing, Daikichi wasn't a 'failed' experiment; he's her, err...current husband. As for which story arc I'm currently on, I'm saying first (_School Daze_ basically not counting for the tallied total because it's a separate story).

Nef: I like constructive criticism, and sometimes negative I like more. However, there are a few slight flaws to the argument. One, she's not overpowered. In a spar between Kanaeru and Gai or Kakashi, the guys are likely to come out the winner; she's just really efficient. Two, there are examples in even _Naruto_ where a character will seemingly randomly and without provocation attack an endearing or otherwise character and then turn out to be an important story character. Three, I don't share the idea that either Lee or especially Gai are great, beloved characters. Deep down _somewhere_ Lee might be (might being the operative word), and a little bit of beat down on them makes my day (especially to break up a 'youthful' speech). Thank you, and I'll keep that in mind (Gayt, Star, et cetera)...if I hadn't been already...

* * *

**Chapter 6:  
Will Never Fulfilled  
**

Tsume suddenly jerked her head when she felt something. Her concentration lapsed, and Kankuro scored and easy hit on her. He managed to ease up at the last moment, so it only amounted to a stern slap across her face. He was concerned when she didn't move for a good few seconds. He was about to ask her if she was okay when she turned to face east.

He looked in the same direction with obvious confusion plastered on his face. Mori and Hishu consequently stopped their training to observe their sensei and teammate. They quickly calculated the position of the sun to know she wasn't looking towards Suna, so it was unlikely that Gaara, thus their home village, was in any danger. They sighed with the likely conclusion.

Tsume turned to Kankuro with worry and concern written all across her face. He was taken aback for a second. "Naruto-san is in trouble!" She was confused when her sensei actually looked somewhat relieved. She tried to make an angry face, but it came off as a pitiful pout. "He really is!"

The puppet user stifled a chuckle as best he could. He managed to be adequately reminded of his sister, thus scared, when her eyes narrowed and face became dangerous. "Oh, sorry, sorry… It's just that every time Naruto's been in 'trouble' he's managed to pull out of it somehow." He paused for a moment. "Besides, wasn't in 'Naruto-sama' some hours ago?"

Tsume blushed crimson. She stuttered indiscernible words before she stopped to take a deep breath. She managed to direct a proper glare to her sensei, and he was already grinning widely. She sensed he was having fun, and it didn't help her mood any. "Kankuro-sensei, that's neither here nor there!"

Hishu gawked at his female teammate. He couldn't make sense of her outburst. She was mad because _Kankuro_ was teasing her about her crush on a boy she only _just recently_ met. He was always teaming up with his sister, Temari, to do that…_before_ she ever met the blond genin. "Man, what's got her goat?"

Mori shrugged slightly as he walked towards their sensei and teammate. As he went through the motions of packing his two-armed Karasu, he noticed his other teammate following him. When he received a confused look and an icy glower, he raised a brow and translated the last thing the perturbed kunoichi said. "As stated Kankuro-sensei, this may not be the time or place. Shouldn't we inform Hokage-sama?"

Hishu was upset that his male compatriot decided to put a jab at his intelligence while addressing their sensei. A slight tinge of pink graced his cheeks as he tried to cover up his embarrassment, and the quip. "Y-Yeah…" He quickly chided himself at the stutter. "…we did promise, right?"

Kankuro looked at his genin and shook his head. They knew how to be persistent. He scratched his chin to think for a moment. If they barged into Tsunade's office every time Tsume sensed something, she might start to think they are just crying wolf. It was the first time, so he decided to delve into the problem first. "Well, can you tell what type of 'trouble' it is?"

Tsume nodded her head vigorously. She wanted to help as soon as possible. "His chakra flow's all weird, so I think he's under a genjutsu." A collective sigh from her sensei and teammates told her they weren't buying what she sensed as enough reason. Her expression darkened, and the force behind her words increased. "I wasn't worried at first! He's been under it for a few minutes now, and most of his team's moved away!"

Kankuro blinked, but Mori and Hishu kept their incredulous expressions. They were about to say something when their sensei spoke up with a very serious tone. "Can you tell who's moving away and their condition?" He watched her tilt her head to one side to think. "This is important, just concentrate."

After a moment to think, she finally nodded. "I can't really tell who. I can recognize them as his team, though. Most of them are out of range now, but they seemed fine…" She turned east again. "Wait, I can sense somebody I couldn't before…" She tilted her head to one side again. "That's strange…" She noticed the questioning looks and continued. "They must be somewhere blocking chakra 'cause I can't sense more than…thirty meters from Naruto."

Kankuro nodded when he noticed the perplexed tone she took when stating the distance. He decided they may as well tell Tsunade. "Okay, we'll see about talking to Hokage-sama. At the very least, we can keep her apprised of the situation." He knelt down to unfurl a scroll and sealed his four-armed Karasu. Completing that task, he nodded to his genin, and they followed after him when he took off.

* * *

Tsunade rapped her fingers on her desk. "Timing's just perfect; isn't it?" It was a rhetorical question, and the other two occupying her room knew it. She looked at Shizune and Isaribi in turn. She decided to start with her assistant. "Shizune, how's the medical team doing?"

The medical jonin nodded. "Well as you can imagine, they're growing quite anxious…especially Sakura. They want to go into the field, and I've reminded them we might not even be necessary." She paused for a moment to think but signaled her completion.

Tsunade took in a deep breath. She was expecting just such news. Sakura was probably chomping at the bit to do something, and she was probably also further worried to learn Yamato wasn't assigned to the team. She still wasn't willing to explain who Kanaeru was and why she was more than enough insurance. Those thoughts aside, she turned to Isaribi. "You're sure on this?"

The bandaged girl nodded. "Yes, I'm absolutely certain, Hokage-sama." She watched the commanding shinobi rub her eyes as she fought the urge to pull out some sake for a binge. "What do you think they want?"

Tsunade practically threw her arms in the air. "They want to talk, but the message _seems_ to indicate they just want us to stay out of collecting the head of one of _our_ missing nin." She let out an infuriated. "You throw in the timing and _who_ sent the communication, and you have a very bold party."

Shizune decided to take advantage of the short pause when her old friend started rubbing her temples. "If I might, Tsunade-sama?" She waited for the nod of approval. "If they're sending messengers, isn't it a good thing?" She couldn't help but feel a little bit of hope.

Tsunade ruefully shook her head. "I wish. If I know this guy like I know I do, he's only sending messengers as a formality." She sighed. "No, it's big, and I have a feeling it may involve Akatsuki if Isaribi's information is right." Her head hung, and her bangs cast a shadow over her face.

Shizune's head also hung as she thought over the words. She knew the situation, but she didn't want to recognize it as dire as it seemed to be. She was about to speak up when Isaribi interrupted her. "On that note, I _do_ have some good news." She carefully fought a forming smile as she pulled out a scroll and handed it to Tsunade.

She looked at it for a moment and quickly eyed the bandaged girl. "This better be good." Isaribi let the smile she fought take over her face, and that action caused Tsunade to raise a brow as she unfurled the scroll. Her expression was one of surprise as her eyes widened with ever line. "Is this for real?!"

Isaribi happily bobbed her head. "I can vouch for every word." She paused for a moment as she put her finger to her chin. "Though, maybe I _should_ say Jiraiya-sama could vouch for every word." She sheepishly smiled. "He was the one to confirm the information. I'm just acting as a go-between for you and her ladyship."

Tsunade practically rolled her eyes after getting over a short depression being reminded of him. "You'd _think_ he'd make the rest of his notes and reports a little easier to decipher." She sighed. "No, we wouldn't want our enemies finding the cipher and using the information against us…" She looked up to meet eyes with Isaribi again. "Any word on…"

There was a knock at her door, and all three turned to look. Tsunade raised a brow; she wasn't expecting anybody. She decided it _might_ be urgent. "Yes, what is it?" She was surprised to see Kankuro standing behind her chunin guards. Her surprise turned to worry when she remembered Tsume's jirijutsu abilities, but she tried to remain hopeful that it was something else. She waved him in and noticed he was trailed by his genin. Shizune and Isaribi stepped to either side to allow them center audience to Konoha's leader.

When Tsunade indicated he should speak, Kankuro wondered what exactly he should say. _"'Yeah, Naruto might have been captured.' That's a wonderful way to start a conversation."_ After a moment of thought, he hoped he had the right tact in approach. "Tsume sensed that, well…" He paused wondering if she'd even believe him. "…Naruto may be in trouble."

A loud boom introduces Tsunade's forehead to her desk. "What's with these three rules of trouble?!" Shizune and Isaribi wore expressions of concern. Kankuro and his genin just blinked and stared at her as she regained her composure and proceeded to massage her forehead. "Timing, timing, timing, what is it now?"

The sand nin explained the situation as best they could. Kankuro had Tsume explained what she sensed. Between the creative talents of Mori and Hishu, Tsunade was able to adequately understand who might have moved away. The most likely candidate for staying behind had a most interesting description, one in many.

"So…you can't sense the rest of the team, right?" Tsunade received a nod from Tsume. She leaned back and scratched her chin to think. As she thought, she mumbled out loud. "They're east, and Tsume can only sense Naruto because of that blood ritual. These kidnappers are also hiding out somewhere with chakra-restricting materials or minerals…" She shook her head before turning to address those in the room.

* * *

Kanaeru watched as Kiba finally opened his eyes. When Akamaru nuzzled him and she was satisfied he was awake, she turned to call over her shoulder. "Hey pup, he's waking up." Her grin widened into a broad smirk when she felt the small trickle of killer intent.

Neji practically sulked as he walked to where Kiba was resting. He almost felt like a vein was ready to pop out of his forehead, and he sent Kanaeru an icy glower. "I told you not to call me that." He released a guttural sigh. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

Kiba shrugged. "Could be better." He paused for a moment to look between Kanaeru and Neji. "Hey, is 'pup' supposed to be _his_ nickname?" He could tell from Neji's reaction to the emphasis he was right, but he was confused. He shook his head and decided to leave well-enough alone. He petted Akamaru as he looked around. "Hey Shino, you ready for round two?"

When he didn't hear a response, he started looking around. He knew Shino was one of the few who could fool his senses, so he might have let it go. If his teammate were on guard duty or preventative patrol though, he would still smell something nearby. He looked at Neji when he found Naruto missing, too. "Hey, where're Shino and Naruto at?"

Neji was about to say something when Kanaeru interrupted. "Oh, Shino's working on Plan B." If not for the usual restraint Neji showed, he might have slapped his forehead. Kanaeru, on the other hand, looked perfectly serious; though, Kiba sensed something off.

He decided to accept the answer and nodded. "Okay, what's our Plan B? We may as well be on the same page if we're going with the backup." Akamaru barked in agreement.

Again, Neji was about to say something, but Kanaeru beat him to the quick. "Bikochu." There was complete silence for several moments. Kiba was dumbfounded, and Neji was annoyed. She decided it was about time to continue when nearly a minute passed. "Shino explained he tamed a bikochu, and it just so happens to have Naruto's scent. We're tacking him."

Kiba nodded remembering the bikochu; though, he was still staggered. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs before daring another question. "Why, exactly, are we tracking Naruto?"

Neji finally got a word in edgewise. "I noticed early on that they seemed to be after Naruto. The bandits purposely left an opening for him to slip through; though, we aren't sure why." He paused for a moment. "Shino used a distraction to slip through the same opening and keep an eye on Naruto."

Leaves rustled, and the three looked over to see Tenten approach. She looked at Gayt who was leaning against a tree with Star on his shoulder and shook her head. He was a complete mystery, and she couldn't really sense his presence. "Neji was explaining his theory. If he's right, Housekiyama's in more trouble than we thought."

Akamaru moaned and yipped when Kiba's mood darkened. "Neji, there's somethin' I've been meaning to talk to you about, about Naruto." He eyed Kanaeru, Tenten, and Gayt. "Alone, if you don't mind."

Neji sighed. He didn't have time for a private discussion. They needed to gather their forces and meet up with Shino. He met Kiba's eyes. "If you're thinking what I think you are, then either you think Konoha's going to be threatened or Naruto will be used as a bargaining chip."

Kiba didn't like the idea of leaving his thoughts unsaid, but he did agree with the unspoken need for haste. Nodding, he stood and mounted Akamaru. "Okay, let's get going!"

Neji nodded his agreement. "Tenten, you know the plan. Meet us at the rendezvous point with your team. If things go well, both our missions will end successfully." He watched her nod and disappear into the foliage. He turned to his team. "Let's head out.

* * *

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he warily watched the unfamiliar woman saunter over to him and Hinata. Though he realized she was an imaged induced by the genjutsu, he instinctively protected her by standing and outstretching an arm. "What do you want?"

She stopped just outside a comfortable distance. "You can call me Yumiko, dear." She wore a sultry grin as if trying to seduce him. "Well, are you enjoying yourself on your date with Hinata-hime?"

_"Hinata-hime?"_ He rolled the honorific around in his head for a moment. She was supposed to be heir to the Hyuuga clan, and that kind of made her a princess. He dismissed it for two reasons. It didn't sound as cute as Hina-chan, and it was too easy. "What do you want you old bat?" Unlike with Tsunade, he was aiming to attack her pride and ego.

She fluttered her lashes playfully. "You suspect me? I'm only here to make sure my _honored_ guest is enjoying himself." She paused for a second. The illusions of the genjutsu flickered for a second as they passed into their abode carved into the mountain side. The minerals for the region were great for that, but they made such situations a little difficult.

Naruto barely noticed the flicker, but he tried to take advantage of it. He raised his hands in the familiar seal. "_Kai_!" When he opened his eyes, the world was the same. He sneered at the triumphant look his likely captor wore. "What are you smirking about?!"

She shook her head. "Oh, nothing. This could go much easier if you just submitted." She paused. "I could offer you so much more than Konoha ever could, and you could get revenge for all the hardships those ignorant fools suffered upon you." Her smirk widened. "I could even give you Hinata-hime, and you could dance with her over Konoha's ashes."

He felt his anger boiling to the surface. "I don't want revenge! I'm gonna become Hokage! Then I'll show them! They'll respect me, and then everybody's gonna look at me!" He glared at her, daring her to defy his dream.

She sighed. "Poor child. They've deluded you with their ignorance. They threw away your greatness, so you've done the same." She pouted. "You hold within you the greatest power the shinobi world has ever feared, yet your squander it so." Her face twisted. "You should throw away such spoiled trash and burn it to ashes!"

He crossed his arms and turned his nose up at her. "You really are crazy, you old bat." He tried not to lose confidence when she didn't so much as bat an eye at his harassment as he continued. "I have real friends in Konoha, and I'm not about to betray them. Teuchi-jiisan, Ayame-neechan, Iruka-niichan, Tsunade-baachan, Shizune-niichan…" Realizing his list was going to get long, he decided to cut it short. "…and everybody else lives in the village. I can't abandon them!"

Yumiko narrowed her eyes. She hadn't expected him to be so adamant about defending that wretched village. "I was told a lot about you…" She paused for a moment to ensure his attention was rapt. "…Naruto-kun."

His breath nearly whistled through his teeth in his surprise. "How-How did you know?" He felt himself inch closer to the illusionary Hinata.

She was smirking again. "I know all about you. They fear the power within you, so they threw it away. I want that power. It can destroy the Hyuuga, Konoha, and wipe the stench of shinobi from the lands." She laughed. "I didn't think I'd be able to enact my revenge until much later, but my partner died unexpectedly."

He narrowed his eyes and took a fighting stance. "Who's this partner of yours, and what does he have to do with helping you destroy Konoha?!" He wanted out of the illusion, so he could fight her face-to-face and knock those loose screws back into place.

She practically reared her head back as she chortled. Her voice was full of mirth as she regained enough composure to speak. "He's only somebody Konoha rejected because his ambitions were too big. If only they made him Hokage, the village could have been great. The strongest and best would be immortal, and trash would be eliminated."

He lunged at her. He didn't like where she was going. _"Who determines who is trash?! The man she's describing is so familiar, and he fills me with rage!"_ He was actually tempted to call Kyuubi to help, but he knew it rarely worked under an illusion. Instead, he concentrated on connecting with something solid.

He did, and, much to his surprise, he smelled blood. When he opened reexamined his target, his eyes widened in surprise to find Hinata's gut impaled by his clawed hands. His breathing became ragged, and he withdrew his hand only to catch her as she collapsed. "When did Hinata…?"

His thoughts were interrupted when Yumiko's chortle erupted around them. He looked around frantically for the source. He _knew_ it was an illusion, but it felt too real. Her voice was proud as she spoke. "If you're not with me, then I'll break you. Let's see how long you resist _Musouka_ or me."

"Yumiko!" Naruto was mad. He was furious, but he didn't understand something. His hand was transformed like he was tapping into a lot of Kyuubi's chakra, but he couldn't feel the red life energy. He heard Hinata cough and examined her wound. He closed his eyes and kept telling himself one thing over and over. "It's not real."

* * *

Yumiko refocused her attention to Daikichi. "Masato-sanban's genjutsu is working, so how were the others able to escape?" She was still readjusting to the connection, but she knew where they were. She recognized the room as another 'guest' room, much like the one Hinata was in.

He sighed. "I don't know for sure, but it appeared to me that the kunoichi was a Fuuin master, possibly even rivaling you." He recognized her displeased expression. "Yumiko-okamisama, these nuisances may prove more of a hindrance than we thought."

She hated it, but she agreed with him. She gingerly petted his cheeks and lovingly looked into his eyes. "Daikichi-danachan, keep an eye on Naruto-goban. I'll give my Saiga-kun and Basuto-kun their jobs. My Rikka-chan and I will be working together."

He snickered. "So, I'll be Daikichi-yonban soon enough." She gave him a pout, and he kissed her nose. "Don't worry; I can't be jealous. I'll keep an eye on my replacement. You just make sure he can deliver what you want."

She smirked, turned, and started sauntering away. "First, I have to collect from Hinata-hime. Before that, though…" She stopped and faced him again. She confidently crossed her arms over her chest. "…we've got to deal with some ants."

Daikichi nodded and disappeared into the room they placed Naruto in. Yumiko continued down the hall until she entered the open space Rikka was being kept. Saiga and Basuto were awaiting her. She turned to them. "Is Masato-sanban ready?"

Basuto lowered his head and sighed. He hated delivering bad news to his mother. "It seems Masato is suffering from chakra poisoning. Using _Musouka_ may have been too much so soon after receiving _Raikishu_."

She nodded. Though unhappy, she understood. The elaborate setup allowed them to easily capture Hinata. Basuto and Saiga went far to the west of Konoha, and Basuto sent Saiga off. She was there to receive him and send him off immediately after he had his arms around Hinata. Masato then received them back at camp. Rikka coordinated it all by giving Yumiko's eyes to Saiga, and she never even left home.

Yumiko turned her attention to the curtained tube containing Rikka. "Oh Rikka-chan, I know you already feel your otou-sama's mind and chakra slipping away. Don't worry my Rikka-chan; okaa-sama will never let your body be burdened with chakra poisoning." She turned Basuto. "You're sure you can't do anything?"

He shook his head. "No, he refuses a new body." He watched his mother pout; her disappointed look was obvious. "Though he agrees with your ambitions, he says he sees no reason to skirt his responsibilities by throwing them off onto somebody else."

They heard Rikka's body quiver from within her tank, and their expressions became distanced. After a moment, they looked at one another and nodded. Yumiko sat and directed her sons to do the same. "Rikka-chan, I need to conference please." Yumiko, Basuto, and Saiga were still for a moment before their eyes rolled back into their heads and eyelids lolled.

* * *

Yumiko looked at her sons and husband when they appeared with her in the shifting scenery. She smiled serenely as she addressed them. "It seems our ants recover quickly and are eager for more punishment." She paused. "In fact like ants leaving a trail, they've brought more friends to play."

The shifting scenery changed to show nine figures quickly moving through the forest. "With the exception of these two…" She indicated Kanaeru and Gayt. "…my Rikka-chan can provide a detailed analysis." She paused. "Hmm, it seems we already have a pest waiting outside. We'll let him team up with his friends and deal with them all together."

She looked up when Masato appeared in the shifting scenery. She rushed over to him. "Masato-sanban, how are you feeling? My Basuto-kun said you were feeling the effects of your chakra poisoning."

The old man looked to be in his seventies. He had a bad hunch to his back and he walked with a knotted cane. He wore thick glasses and a formal ocean blue yakuta. His thick hair was white from pigment loss, but his eyes were a stunning sapphire blue. "I won't be using _Musouka_ again, but I can at least handle that team's muscle." He smiled broadly.

To either side of Masato, still images of Lee and Kiba appeared. "We'll leave them to you then, Masato-sanban." Yumiko turned to Basuto. To either side of him, Shino and Ino appeared. "My Basuto-kun, you should handle these two. Take the remaining bandits to dispose of this trash."

He simply nodded, and she turned to Saiga. To either side of him appeared Neji and Tenten. "My Saiga-kun, these two work well together. You'll have to be careful, but you already know what the _Hyuuga_ is capable of." She smiled to see him nod vigorously and enthusiastically.

Kanaeru and Gayt appeared around Daikichi as Yumiko turned to him. "You get to finish your fight. I'll let those two slip the furthest past our defenses, and I'll handle your aniki and the big boy." He solemnly nodded.

The sortie orders delivered, she looked up. "My Rikka-chan, you'll have to coordinate our defensive. Do try to…persuade them to their targets. We don't want to confuse our own capabilities." She smiled warmly at the warm response from her daughter.

They still had time, so she decided to address a few issues. "We must keep them away from Hinata-hime and Naruto-goban. We don't want to risk hurting either if they join in on the fight. Therefore, my Rikka-chan will converse with them." She smiled mischievously. "Of course, my Rikka-chan knows my plans for Naruto-goban."

Daikichi nodded before speaking up. "I take it you still want me to watch his room?" She nodded. "Very well, I'll collect my weapon and return to my guard position. Might I use whatever means necessary to defeat my assigned quarry?"

Yumiko's expression contorted into a wicked grin. "Oh, I expect that from everybody, in fact. Rip them apart. Tear them to shreds. Whatever it takes, make sure they can't return to Konoha to warn the rest of the ants. We'll have plenty of time to attain Naruto-goban's power."

Daikichi scratched his chin as one problem presented itself in his mind. "What about Akatsuki? Our dearly departed friend told us about them, and they also want Naruto's power."

She chortled and looked up. "If they want to lay a finger on Naruto-goban, they'll have to get through us first. We are immortal, and we'll soon have everything we need to take down even the most powerful shinobi."

He nodded, satisfied. "Very well, I'll prepare myself." He bowed and faded from the shifting scenery.

Yumiko turned to Masato, Basuto, and Saiga. "You three make preparations. The ants'll be here soon." They bowed and also faded from the shifting scenery. She stood still for a moment before addressing her daughter. "I'm sorry my Rikka-chan, but your otou-sama will be gone soon."

She felt warmth embrace her body as if she were being hugged. "Oh my Rikka-chan, okaa-sama will take good care of you. I'll never let your body suffer from that chakra poisoning. Your onii and otouto will take care of you, too. We'll find the best bodies for you."

* * *

Shino placed his hands in his pockets as he walked up to his comrades-in-arms. He politely nodded to them before turning his attention to Neji. "They've been inside since you left to regroup. I haven't let my bikochu stray too far, but the rest of my colony has confirmed Naruto to be still inside."

Neji nodded, glad for the explanation. He wasn't a hundred percent sure what to expect when they returned. He was more surprised to find they were able to get close to the carved hole in the mountain without anybody noticing. Before, they seemed like skilled ninja leading a group of lackluster bandits. He cautiously activated his Byakugan and took a look around.

Kiba sniffed the air as the team leader kept his eyes out. "I don't smell anybody around." Akamaru whined and yipped. "Akamaru doesn't smell anything, either. It can't be this easy; can it?"

Kanaeru shook her head. "No, they're expecting us. I can only imagine they want to get us separated." She smirked. "It works in our favor too, though. If we are separated, their only numbers advantage lies in bandits." She turned to Neji. "Don't you agree?"

Neji returned his eyes to normal. "Indeed." He paused. "We have to proceed carefully. Though they are being careful, they have us surrounded and are slowly closing in." He turned to Kiba and Lee. "I want you to handle the bandits. You should be able to make quick work of them and return to us. We'll use that distraction to proceed into their headquarters and mount the rescue." He gave them a hard look. "No unnecessary risks, we don't know what we'll run into."

Lee nodded and held his fist up. "No need to worry, Neji. We will ensure your missions success by holding off the hindrances. We will also conserve strength, so we might help you when the need arises."

Kiba rubbed his eyes, and Akamaru whimpered as he covered his ears with his paws. "Yeah, what he said. We'll hold 'em off. You guys just be sure to get Hinata out of there, and keep Naruto from beating them too much. I want my share." He sent a knowing look to Shino who nodded in agreement.

Ino decided to pipe in. "What about the rest of us? What, exactly, is out plan?" She was used to Shikamaru and his overly detailed plans. She found herself hoping Neji planned everything out similarly.

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm not exactly sure what to expect. We didn't learn much about the enemies last time, and they managed to surprise us a number of times. I want Tenten and Suichi to stick with me. Ino, you stick with Chouji and Shino. Kanaeru, Gayt, and Star will make the final team. If anybody sees an opening, make a break for it."

They all nodded in agreement. After discussing some of the finer details, they jumped from their hiding place and made a beeline for the cave entrance. They broke into pre-described team formations with Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee hanging furthest back. Halfway through the camp and to the hollowed out entrance, the bandits made themselves known.

Three teams kept moving forward as a battle erupted between the 'muscle' team and the bandits. Basuto and Masato smirked from their hiding place within a concealed hut. _"Yumiko-chan's plan is working flawlessly. Rikka-chan didn't even need to make any suggestions for my targets to team up. With the exception of fatty and Daikichi's brother, everything is going according to plan."_ They were pleased.

While the first team was engaged, Neji and the rest easily slipped into the house's entrance. They were halted when two people sped past them and stopped in front of them. They were both elderly men. The one in the yakuta smirked before rushing past them and outside.

The remaining elder snapped his fingers, and the bandits that were outside surrounded them. Neji narrowed his eyes. _"Is he somehow controlling the bandits?"_ He looked over his shoulder. _"Did they want the other old man fighting Kiba and Lee? Including Akamaru, he's outnumbered three-to-one."_ He felt like something was fishy.

He made gestures to tell Ino to use her family techniques to confuse the bandits and let them slip by. She nodded and followed orders. She formed her hands into a box shape with one hand upside right and the other upside down. She concentrated on the strongest looking bandit. "_Ninpo: Shinranshin no Jutsu_!" The big guy went stiff for a moment before he started attacking his own allies.

With that distraction, they were able to slip past. Neji thought they all made it until he took a moment to check. Shino and Ino were missing. He looked back to see that the old man somehow managed to keep them tied up, and they were engaged with him and the bandits. Neji did _not_ like the situation, but he knew he had to continue. Even with the bandits, two teams, though sent out for two different missions, gave him the tactical advantage.

Before they could move any further, a familiar figure stepped out before them. He callously waved a cloud hitai-ate in front of him. "I won't let you take imouto-chan away from me." He snickered before he tossed the hitai-ate away and violently jerked his head to spit on it. "I'll tell you a secret, though. I'm no cloud nin!"

He ruthlessly lunged in to attack Neji while tossing ice kunai at Tenten. They both easily dodged, but he pressed the attack. Neji frantically signaled Kanaeru to take the rest of the team and continue. The Hyouton user managed to back them down another hallway, and Kanaeru decided to take charge. She knew there were three more enemies, but only two felt remotely like combatants.

They couldn't even take a step forward before a woman stepped out. She stared down Kanaeru. "I'm afraid your fight isn't with me. You can take your armored hulk and finish the fight you started with my danna-chan." She folded her arms and waited for them to continue.

Kanaeru looked over her shoulder to Suichi. "I think she's the leader here, so you two better be careful." She noticed his worried expression and knew it was directed at her. "Don't worry; I can handle myself. You two be careful, bye-bye!" She took off with Gayt right behind her.

Suichi looked at the woman and drew his daishou. "You look familiar…" He paused for a moment. He could hear Chouji tense as his leather creaked, and he slowly circled around the eerily familiar woman. "Have we met?"

She smirked as she took a loose juuken stance. Chouji knew from her eyes, but he still found it hard to believe they were facing a Hyuuga branch member. He was molding his chakra, and he could feel her doing the same. Then, she rushed Suichi fully intent on delivering painful blows with her chakra-infused hands.

* * *

Naruto was in tears as he watched the scene before him. _"This isn't real!"_ He repeated the mantra to himself over and over again, but the images playing out were too painful. He was angry at Yumiko; he felt like he hated her. She was torturing him. He watched, from a first-person vantage point, as he slew his friends one-by-one.

He stood atop the ashes of Konoha's famous ninja academy. Iruka was crawling towards him, begging him to stop. There was nothing he could do as the tears streamed down his face. He heard his own guttural growl, but he wanted to scream and make the illusion end. A _Rasengan_ formed in his hands, and he felt his legs move in a slow gait towards his helpless sensei.

Watching from a nearby rooftop, Rikka stood in flowing white robes. She stood next to a human-sized, blood-red fox. The fox sneered at the destruction. "If you're trying to break kit, you're going about it wrong. I might have tried this years ago if I thought it would work, so I could get my own revenge."

The girl shook her head but kept her ashen blue eyes on the scene before her. The fox turned to her then back to Naruto. "Yes, he is strong. He credits that man you just made him kill as one of the first to acknowledge him." The girl smiled gently. "Humph, I doubt it. Kit wants to be Hokage and _protect_ Konoha." He warily watched as the girl seemed to float off the roof and towards Naruto.

Naruto noticed her and turned to her. He was surprised to find his body _not_ move in to kill her. It had disobeyed him every time up until that moment, and he wondered why she was so special that it listened to him now. She tilted her head to one side, and he blinked in confusion. "What do you mean why do I resist? I don't want to kill my friends!" The tears freely streamed down his face. He was beyond distressed.

The girl looked over her shoulder, and Hinata was walking towards them. She looked at Naruto, and he gave her a confused look. "What do you mean by that? Of course I know she's only an illusion!" He blinked. "She's going to speak for you?" He was about to say something when the girl placed her hand on Hinata's shoulder.

Hinata parted her lips a few times and tried a few sounds as if testing her voice. "Ah, it's interesting to have a voice, even if it's not my own." Rikka and Hinata smiled broadly. "Naruto-kun, Yumiko-okaasama will treat you well, and she doesn't fear what's inside of you. Why do you resist?" They pouted to soften him.

Naruto was worried at first, hearing about the Kyuubi, but he quickly calmed. He looked at the snow white girl and decided to speak to her. After all, she was the one speaking through the illusory Hinata. "I'm here to rescue Hina-chan, and we're returning _together_ to Konoha!'

Naruto found it interesting to watch Hinata and Rikka; though, he had no name yet for the latter. Whatever action Rikka took, Hinata mirrored, and the snow white girl was only about eight years old. They tilted their heads to one side. "Do you like 'Hina-chan'?"

It was an innocent question with direct consequences. Naruto's cheeks lit up bright red. He stammered a response. "Well-I-you see…" He stopped, closed his eyes, and held his breath. Once he counted to ten, he opened his eyes and looked to the pale girl again. "I…don't know. I've never been 'liked' like that before…and it made me feel real happy…"

Across the street on a nearby rooftop, a human sized fox looked to his right. "Oh, so that girl brought you here too. What's she thinking?" He turned his attention back to Naruto and Rikka. "He really is dense, but he's never been given a chance. Even his tenant looked down on him."

Hinata shook slightly. She felt a combination of fear and anxiety. She was standing next to a miniaturized Kyuubi no Kitsune, and she was watching…herself talk to her crush not too far away. "A-Ah, y-you-you're th-the Kyu-Kyu-Kyu…"

He sighed. "Yeah, I'm Kyuubi. It's a long story, but I'm not going to hurt you." He scoffed. _"As if I even could…"_ He regarded the girl for a moment. "You surprise me. You're afraid of me, but you don't show a bit of hesitation showing your support for kit when you find out about me. Why?"

Her face darkened and she looked down. She defensively fidgeted with her fingers. "Na-Naruto-kun's Naruto-kun. Y-You don't c-control him." She wanted to stop stuttering, but she found her emotions difficult to fight.

Kyuubi sighed. "Humph, I might have just a short while ago." He turned a mischievous grin her direction. "I really hate that village, and I'm not as cornered as I once was." He almost laughed as her face turned blue in panic. "If I did that, I'd cease to exist. Frankly, I'm more interested in living."

"A-Ah…" Hinata paused. She didn't know if she should be scared of Kyuubi or not, but she didn't want to run either. For whatever reason, the girl with skin as white as snow brought her here to watch. She didn't see the carnage from before, but she was worried about Naruto standing atop so many bodies. "I-Is Naruto-kun all right?"

Kyuubi imitated a shrug. "I don't know what your captors want, but they don't really seem to want to _physically_ hurt him. Either mentally or spiritually, they may be trying to break him." He looked her in the eyes, and she nearly cowered in fear from the immense feeling of dread he seemed to give off as an aura. "Watch child, and see his resolve."

Hinata turned to face and watch Naruto, Rikka, and her illusory self. She closed her eyes to try to block off the fear she felt from Kyuubi. He calmly stood beside her and watched, with a bit of a snarl, what was unfolding.

Rikka and the façade of Hinata slightly rolled their heads before resting their chin on a forefinger. "You liked the feeling of somebody 'liking' you in an unfamiliar way? Doesn't that mean you also 'like' Hinata in that way?" Hinata was speaking, but Naruto knew it was for Rikka. As she paused, his face became redder as they leaned towards him. "…or are you just…lonely?"

Naruto blinked as his natural color returned. Her tone of voice…it was familiar. "A-Are you lonely, too?" He couldn't shake the feeling, and it only amplified as she, thus Hinata, recoiled.

A familiar stutter flourished upon Hinata's lips as Rikka's calm was disrupted. "L-Lonely? Wh-What do you mean by that?" They vehemently shook their heads. "No, okaa-sama and otou-san love me." A single tear rolled down each of their cheeks. "Even if otou-san leaves, okaa-sama will be with me forever." They suddenly smiled. "…you'll be with me forever."

Naruto and the real Hinata across the street were taken aback by her comment. Hinata grew flustered and was about to cry out when Kyuubi chuckled. She looked at him with wet eyes as he spoke. "I see, now. I thought I smelled a snake in the grass." He paused. "Yumiko, hmm?"

She frantically returned her gaze to her crush to hear him state a very obvious question. His eyes were closed, head tilted, and shoulders slumped in a dumbfounded expression. His lips were curled as a single word announced his confusion. "Huh?"

Rikka removed her hand from the faux Hinata, but the latter still imitated the former as they clapped their hands together happily and tilted their heads to one side. "Our dear okaa-sama says you get to be my otou-sama!"

Naruto nearly planted his face in the…bodies surrounding him as he tried to figure out if the girl was joking or not. Across the street, Hinata fell to her knees, and her breathing was shallow. Kyuubi narrowed his eyes as he watched Rikka. "Yumiko is an expert with Fuuin, so it's not hard to suspect what skill she might have in kinjutsu."

Hinata looked worriedly at him. He shook his head and turned around. "I felt something pulsing deep within kit's soul. I'll look for that. That pale-skinned brat wants to talk to you and Naruto anyway. I don't want to be a fifth wheel." He faded as she watched him walk towards and unknown destination.

The scenery faded and became an empty blackness. Naruto was looking at Rikka, but all illusions were gone. Standing not far away, Hinata was looking at a mirror image of Rikka. She could see her crush, but she could tell he couldn't see her. She blinked as she noticed he was talking, but she couldn't hear him.

She heard a voice in her head and looked straight at Rikka. Her lips weren't moving, but she _knew_ the voice belonged to her. It was a sweet, gentle voice. "My name is Kagennotsuki Hyuuga Rikka. My power is _Eiki_." She studied Hinata's reaction as she tensed and instinctively molded chakra to her eyes. "Ah, I see the Hyuuga still teach their youths about our clans."

Hinata narrowed her eyes to appear dangerous. She knew Kagennotsuki were mute, but _most_ had clear visual senses. She was slightly taken aback when Rikka didn't respond even slightly. "What do you want with us?"

Rikka opened her arms wide. "I only want what okaa-sama wants. She knows the Byakugan is limited, and she knows the Hyuuga believe the Sharingan evolved from it. She believes the Sharingan may be a blended kekkei genkai, so she's seeking to strengthen the Byakugan. So far, she's failed to find a good blend."

Hinata blinked. "Is that all she wants?" She remembered her conversation with Yumiko some hours ago. She seemed determined to destroy Konoha, but doing so would mean eliminating some kekkei genkai to experiment with.

Rikka smirked. "You noticed. She's done with Konoha. There's nothing worthy left there. We don't need Konoha anymore, and Naruto-kun will help us." Her smirk widened. "You'll help us, too; though, _you_ at least might not do so willingly."

Hinata grew angrier with every passing word. She didn't want Konoha destroyed. She didn't wish harm upon the Hyuuga. Least of all, she didn't want Naruto's dream tarnished. She dropped into her juuken stance for her own techniques. She tried to mold her chakra, but nothing happened. She stared, wide eyed, at her opponent.

Rikka giggled. "Oh Hinata-hime, nothing's going to happen here. _I_ control everything here with _Eiki_." She took a few steps towards Hinata and placed her hands on her outstretched one. "Isn't it enough to know that Naruto-kun cares for you? It's even possible okaa-sama will let you experience bliss before your body is given up to her."

Hinata couldn't help it. She gasped. Rikka giggled again. "What are you so surprised about? I'm pretty sure Kyuubi noticed, and I do recall him giving you a hint." She pouted at the confused expression her playmate wore. "Oh, he did say it so haphazardly. I supposed it was too difficult to understand."

She turned away and practically skipped to her mirror image 'talking' with Naruto. It was strange to hear her when she never moved her mouth. She turned to look over her shoulder and continued talking. "It's incomplete. It lets us live forever, but it doesn't transfer anything from the original owner. I suppose it's better to say okaa-sama's technique steals life force rather than the body."

Hinata mumbled incomprehensibly as she put together what Rikka said. The girl only smiled playfully as she sat and leaned against an invisible wall separating them from Naruto…who seemed to be alone. She shook her head. "You can't mean…"

Rikka smiled as the secret was figured out. Even if Hinata didn't say it out loud, she heard it clear as day. "Yes, he is…was a dear friend of okaa-sama. I never really trusted him, but he helped us gain a foothold here at Housekiyama. He took the Fuuin and kinjutsu okaa-sama knew and adjusted it to his own purposes. Instead of being simply immortal, he could take all the jutsu and memories of the previous owner with him."

Hinata was speechless, but Rikka continued. "When okaa-sama loved Konoha, she was forsaken." The surprised expression on Hinata's face was the reaction Rikka was looking for. Though it sounded random, she elaborated. "Orochimaru-kun felt the same way. He loved the village which betrayed him. If they made _him_ Hokage instead of Namikaze Minato, the village would have become stronger. Then, okaa-sama might have returned to loving Konoha."

Rikka laughed; though, her face never showed it. "She loved somebody you should be familiar with. Hyuuga Junpei was the first man she loved, but she was branded branch. She was, thus, forbidden to seek his favor. In the end, okaa-sama learned how tainted Konoha had become."

Hinata indeed recognized the name Hyuuga Junpei. In her mind, it was impossible. Though Rikka mentioned being immortal, she still couldn't believe it. Junpei was long dead. He was an aged warrior present at the founding of Konoha. Rikka wasn't done yet. "He even turned her down and married who it was 'proper' to marry when she told him." She was obviously sad. "Why can't the Hyuuga accept love?"

* * *

Kanaeru jumped out of the way as an arrow landed where she once stood. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked to the samurai who emerged. As Gayt reached out to draw a sword as if out of ether, she stopped him with a simple hand signal. "Well samurai-san, it seems you haven't had enough."

Daikichi smirked. "I've been waiting to finish this." He notched an arrow and carefully took aim. He watched as she merely raised her arm and bent it to protect her neck. "If you're not careful, I'll pierce your chest." He launched the arrow, and she was surrounded by her chains.

* * *

Hopefully, that answers a few more questions and raises a few eyebrows. Can you say 'cover my rear technique'? I completely forgot about Shino halfway through the fight in the previous chapter...

I hate retail work. Even with a week-long vacation, it manages to eat up most of your time. I don't even know if I'd consider it a vacation considering that work (80-hours) plus vacation (36-hours) added up to 116-hours for the previous two weeks ('vacation' was literally the end of one week and beginning of next). Next time you see an unfortunate retail junkie having a bad day, try to smile and treat him or her nicely.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,002  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Raikishu_ - Lightning Horseman: a complicated and difficult ninjutsu, _Raikishu_ requires at least three people to perform. These are the rider, sender, and reciever. It is a teleportation technique invented by Kumo to have one person at a scene ready to recieve multiple allies thereby forcing enemies to underestimate their forces. This technique was used to kidnap Hinata.

_Ninpo: Shinranshin no Jutsu _- Ninja Art: Mind Derangement Technique: a Yamanaka mind speciality technique, _Shinranshin_ is a powerful technique causing its victims body to attack randomly as if berserk. Though the victim remains completely aware and often fights it, the victim is unable to stop his or her body from attacking allies.

_Eiki_ - Phases of the Moon: a jirijutsu, Kagennotsuki clan members use techniques simulating psychic powers stemming from an extra nerve bundle disabling the vocal cords. The most powerful, like Masato and Rikka, are both blind and mute. In a genjutsu, they have free control of the events. However, they build up deadly 'chakra poisoning' as their bodies age. The optimal ages for _Eiki_ is between the ages of eight and fifteen.


	8. Chapter 7: Family Entrenched

TimeShifter: I don't know that I'd say Kyuubi knows Yumiko. I'll just innocently whistle over in the corner as details are revealed, even about her husbands. Also, Masato chooses to grow old and die. I'm pretty sure that was in the last chapter...somewhere... Sorry for the confusion.

samueltm2: I update when I can... Work's killing me.

* * *

**Chapter 7:  
Family Entrenched  
**

Kiba wore a broad smirk as he bounded for the first line of bandits. His keen senses told him the others were able to slip through the cave entrance without resistance. He caught the green blur known as Lee out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised at how many bandits were left alive or uninjured enough to fight.

He looked to his buddy and partner in crime. "You ready for this?!" The snarl and yip from his canine companion told him everything he needed to know. He crouched low; his feral look was enough to give pause to his targets. "Now, _Juujin Bushin_! _Gatsuu_… Huh?!" Kiba and Akamaru, now looking the same, stared in stunned silence.

Lee came to an abrupt halt as he watched, with equal confusion as Kiba and Akamaru, as the bandits dissolved into muddy earth and clay. Most of them were muddy, at least. Enough of them were solid and dry enough to throw out a billowing cloud of dust as they succumbed to gravity.

They heard a laugh which sent shivers down their spines. It was creepy, but it also seemed to emanate from inside their minds. They could not locate the source until they felt a surge of chakra and looked ahead to where the dryer bandits stood. They watched intently, and they were locked into their respective taijutsu stances. They felt they were ready for anything.

A path was cut through the dust to reveal an elderly man in a yakuta and wearing thick glasses. They nearly planted their collective faces into the dirt when they saw their opponent. He wore a kindly smile only a great grandfather could wear, and he seemed to take delight in their bewilderment. "I am Kagennotsuki Masato, danna-sanban of our most gracious host."

Kiba and Lee exchanged looks. Neither saw the man move his lips, but they _knew_ he was the one to speak to them. Stranger still, they 'heard' his voice in their heads…like the laughter before. Kiba decided to speak up. "Hey listen jii-san, we don't wanna hurt you, so just we'll just be on our way." He tried to take a step forward, and he soon regretted it.

He was buffeted by pressure, but he knew it wasn't wind. It was nothing like any Fuuton he'd ever run across, and he was being forced back and down at the same time. He leapt back from the pressure then immediately to Akamaru's side. He snarled as he twisted his upper body, and his loyal companion followed suite. "_Gatsuuga_!"

Lee shifted his stance. He was fully prepared to rush in after his teammate, should the need arise. He was also analyzing the strange technique Kiba was afflicted by. Though chakra manipulation was foreign to him, he had plenty of experience analyzing it. It wasn't Fuuton. As he was sure Kiba surmised, it was much more similar to space-time manipulation techniques, like summoning or teleportation.

He concluded one very important fact as Kiba and Akamaru were stopped mid-flight and mid-spin not three feet from Masato. They were at a disadvantage in terms of techniques. To such raw ability to manipulate time-space, neither speed nor strength was an asset.

* * *

"Yamamichi Basuto at your service." Basuto bowed, almost politely. He, however, didn't reveal his _other_ surname. Like his siblings, Hyuuga was included in his full name, but he felt it wasn't important to reveal to the ants before him. At the very least, they may still have means of communicating to the others. With the exception of Yumiko, it was best not to reveal significant details of the family.

Shino narrowed his eyes while Ino paled. With her concentration disrupted, the bandit she had under control stopped and attempted to regain himself. Though not fond of physical contact, Shino reached out and tapped Ino's shoulder. She shook out of her stunned trance, and the bandit returned to fighting his own comrades.

Basuto smirked. "Oh, did I scare the Yamanaka?" He watched, with mild amusement, as the biggest brute on his side continued to beat up his allies. His smirk broadened as the heat in the large alcove started heating up, and he reveled as they started sweating as the temperature rose. The ground beneath the bandit grew so hot it almost shifted as if liquid before he caught on fire.

Oddly, it was Shino to break the very uncomfortable silence. "Yamamichi, you are a lesser clan primarily residing along the northern border of Fire. You mold Kazanton chakra." He did not like the implication. It meant Basuto was a master of Doton and Katon. Worse, it meant he could _blend_ them into a potent technique which gave new meaning to the phrase 'a good offense is a good defense.'

Ino shakily looked over to her ally. "He-He just killed one of his men." She doubted another _Shinranshin _would make any difference. The Yamanaka clan techniques were designed to disorient and demoralize opponents. The man standing before them, a Yamamichi, instantly took away that psychological edge, and it managed to frighten her.

Shino narrowed his eyes. He could tell the blond kunoichi was unnerved. His colonies told him as much. Though it didn't show in his mannerisms, he was worried about her state of mind, but he was more worried about something else he noticed. He watched the bandits with a growing suspicion. He decided that caution was for the best and whispered to her. "We are at a disadvantage. We need to work together."

She nodded in reply and gulped. She knew she could count on him. He was calm, and he had a lot more leadership experience than her. She just hoped he had some elemental training to help them get through Basuto alive. She carefully set herself into position to launch another family technique when her eyes caught movement from the bandits.

* * *

Neji's face settled into a fierce scowl as strike after strike wielded nothing. The juuken wasn't feared because of crushing blows. It was feared because even glancing blows caused internal damage. He jumped back for the nth time to assess his opponent. His ashen green eyes were reminiscent of the Byakugan, and he only referred to himself as Saiga.

Tenten narrowed her eyes as she watched Neji. They were attempting to utilize a simple plan where Neji attack to both distract and slow. So far, Tenten hadn't the opportunity to attack. She held a weapon scroll in each hand in preparation, but it almost seemed hopeless. She just couldn't see what his eyes could.

The Byakugan revealed something terrifying. A strike to tenketsu, usually able to bring an opponent to his or her knees, was all but ignored. Saiga seemed to just shrug them off. As Neji moved in to strike, a surge of chakra covered the target point. The first time he saw it, he thought he had been successful when he saw the 'splash' of chakra as the tenketsu shut off. He quickly learned the horror.

The chakra flow didn't change, distort, or stop. Instead, he was forced to step back several times as a burning sensation numbed his fingers. It wasn't from heat his fingers were burned. Instead, it seemed to be from intense cold. Saiga smirked as he watched his opponent process the information. "Oh, I'm sorry Hyuuga-_sama_. Was I supposed to be intimidated?"

Neji and Tenten recognized the inflection. Their opponent was _looking down_ on them. He turned his head slightly and nodded. She returned the gesture and jumped into the air as she unfurled the scrolls in either hand. In a matter of seconds, all manner of melee weapon was flung from a twirling dance of death. The confident smirk never left Saiga's face as he stood there awaiting what should be his certain demise.

* * *

The most boring of sounds heralded an exciting clash. Chouji swung his bulked-up arms down only to thud against a recently evacuated floor. Suichi rushed and expertly wielded his daishou as soon as his portly ally was out of harms way. As he swung his blades, Yumiko blocked with carefully timed and executed juuken strikes. Instead of striking tenketsu in his body, she struck at stress points along the blades.

Suichi's expression grew into an angry grimace as he watched the expert tactics. He jumped back to save his crying blades, and Chouji jumped right in. Both knew they were facing a Hyuuga and her Byakugan. Neither knew her name or motives. They were fighting for survival as well as the mission. They had no effective counter to the juuken, so they had to rely on one another.

Chouji returned his limbs to their normal size as Suichi fell into step beside him. They were carefully pacing around Yumiko, and she confidently smirked as she mirrored them. Suichi maintained a defensive stance as he whispered to Chouji. "This woman's dangerous. We haven't been able to get near her. Any ideas?"

Chouji shook his head and cupped his hand over his mouth, so only Suichi could see or hear him speak. "She's skilled with the Byakugan, and her juuken's not half-bad." He took a quick glance to the samurai's daishou. "She's done a number to your weapons. Even I heard them crying in pain, and I'm no swordsman."

Yumiko decided to chime in when the boys kept her out of the conversation a little too long. "Oh boys, aren't you forgetting someone?" She rushed towards them and struck out with a chakra-infused palm strike. Her smirk broadened when they dodged in opposite directions, and she thrust her arms out to follow them. A burst of chakra sent them flying halfway across the large room.

* * *

Kanaeru watched her breath condense into fog as the room's ambient temperature continued to drop. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she was still staring down her opponent. Of course, he was still sizing her up. She decided to unhinge him by revealing a bit of knowledge revealed through her sumitsuki training. "I thought you might be Kumorigachi, samurai-san."

Daikichi raised a brow but, otherwise, did not respond. Instead, he waited for her, and he didn't have to wait long. "Though Suichi-dono doesn't show it, you can utilize your latent Hyouton." Her smirk broadened as her opponent seemed to show some agitation. "It's sad, really. Without the ability to mold chakra, you don't even compare to the mist nin." She knew about the kekkei genkai genocide in Kiri, but part of psychological warfare was getting under the opponent's skin.

To her surprise, he smirked and chuckled. "Oh, I know about _that_ branch of the family. I hear our honored guest took care of the last of them for us." He noticed her narrowed eyes and misjudged them for weakness. His smirk broadened even as his thoughts turned to his son. _"I had planned on reviving the Hyouton, but Yumiko-okamisama proved it was impossible without a strong shinobi bloodline. Even Saiga possesses only _half_ Hyouton's capability and none of the Byakugan's."_

Her eyes quickly darted from her chains to her opponent's face. He was confident enough to have not even drawn and arrow since his last attack. She waited for him to make a move and waste ammunition, but the cold he seemed to be emanating sent frost creeping up her chains. _"So… He knows about Haku, and he's not concerned about any of it. Furthermore, he's more confident since our last meeting."_

Kanaeru's smirk broadened, and her expression set to determination. "Well if you're not going to get this party started, I guess I will! _Ninpo: Ichiban no Kyuubi_!" In a flash, she whipped the mass of chains wrapping her right arm towards him. Daikichi easily parried the powerful blow with his bow and jumped back while notching an arrow. Her eyes narrowed as it screamed through the air towards her. She knew _Ichiban no Kyuubi_ was her slowest 'stance', but the blows were powerful and should have numbed his lower arms. Something smelled fishy.

* * *

Tsume was confused. She felt like she was floating. It was an odd sensation. _"I thought I felt Naruto-san and his team…and some others a while ago, but that suddenly just stopped. Now I can only feel him and two girls. What's going on?"_ As she processed her thoughts, she didn't notice the change in scenery.

* * *

Startled, Mori and Hishu barely managed to catch their female teammate as her eyelids fluttered and legs gave out. Though she looked like she was concentrating only moments ago, she looked to be completely unconscious as they worriedly stared at her. Kankuro rushed to his genin to see what might be going on, and he checked her pulse.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes dangerously. "No way this is a coincidence." She turned to Shizune, and her apprentice immediately tensed. "Get Inoichi in here. I want your team ready at the main gate as soon as possible." Shizune saluted and left, so Tsunade turned her attention to Kankuro. "Besides the sudden anemia, anything abnormal?"

Kankuro shook his head. "No." He removed his fingers from the girl's slender neck before mussing the boys' hair. "You did good. Now, put her down." They complied, and he turned a scrutinizing gaze to Tsume. Something was definitely suspicious. There was no reason for her to suddenly pass out as she had.

* * *

She was surrounded by an inky world of exaggerated colors, and it was overly stylized. She blinked in surprise as she noticed that she could…see. She looked around to _see_ the world she always tried to visualize. She, like any Tomoyuki, was blind; though, they 'saw' the world through chakra. To be able to physically see, it was a new experience for her.

She spun around when she heard bare feet clap against the ground behind her. She was surprised to see a girl with pale white skin and hair and equally white, flowing robes walking towards her. Her ashen blue eyes were fixated on her melted chocolate orbs. She stopped walking an arm's length away. "I see. You're the one I sensed." She paused. "It took me a while to find you because you were so far away."

Tsume swallowed and managed not to panic. She had no idea what was going on, and she was trying to process everything. The new sensation wasn't helping her any, and she felt dazzled from sights she never thought she'd see. "Wh-Who are you?" She blinked as the snow white girl leaned in.

Rikka regarded her latest guest for a moment. She recognized the eyes like melted chocolate from her mother's diaries. "Interesting…" She stood erect and spun around before rocking back and forth on her heels. "You're a long way from home, Tomoyuki." She slowly half-turned to face the stunned girl. "I'm Rikka."

Tsume stared dumbly. She had no idea how her clan was so easily deduced. Outside of Wind, few villages really considered the Tomoyuki a true enough threat to keep track of. Even within Suna, they were a relatively minor clan. Still, her opponent knew about her clan. She decided it was safe enough to sate her curiosity. "How can I see?"

Rikka smirked, an expression startling the blind girl. "I'm of the Kagennotsuki, and this is a genjutsu." She dramatically spread her arms. "I am in control of the verticals and horizontals. You see because I desire it." Her smirk broadened slightly as the implication should sink in quickly.

Tsume stared intently at the girl claiming to be from the Kagennotsuki clan. Unlike the Tomoyuki, they were a major and feared clan of the same level as nobility. "Y-You're from Suna, too?"

Rikka shook her head. "No, otou-san is." She fully faced away from the girl with eyes like melted chocolate and walked towards an unseen destination. After she'd taken a few steps, the pale, white-skinned girl appeared to be in two other places. One was walking to a battle-ready Hinata, and the other was talking to a heated Naruto.

Tsume instinctively followed. She stopped and gasped as she watched two scenes appear before her. Knowing what the Kagennotsuki were capable of, she didn't know which of the three before her was the real one. The thought of which was real brought back something said a short time ago. "Ri-Rikka…if you control everything as you've said, why don't your lips move when you talk?"

Rikka tilted her head to one side with a broad smile; though, she still didn't turn around. "Unlike my otou-san, I've never been concerned with showing an outward appearance that resembles a 'normal' perception." She paused, and her smile somewhat disappeared. "Are you concerned with showing a 'normal' perception?"

Tsume blinked. She felt like her question was misinterpreted, but she understood where the snow white girl was coming from. The elders of the Tomoyuki clan trained the youngest generation what they could of facial expressions, so they could fit in better with their peers. However, she didn't learn what she wanted to. Sighing, she asked another question. "Why did you bring me here?"

To the question, Rikka finally turned back around to face her. "You were connected to Naruto-kun, so I was curious. Did you use the Tomoyuki blood ritual?" She watched the slow nod before continuing. "Then you know what's inside Naruto-kun." She watched another nod, but she was confused. "You…aren't afraid?"

Tsume shook her head. "I was afraid at first. All Tomoyuki fear the 'blindness' of being overwhelmed by chakra, but I don't fear Naruto-san." Despite learning the expression through practice, the sparkle of adoration in her eyes appeared genuine as she clasped her hands in front of herself. "Naruto-san showed Kazekage-sama friendship, so he saved all Suna."

Rikka was stunned silent. She never heard anything like what she just heard. She cupped her chin to think for a moment. _"If Naruto-kun saved Suna, it would have to be _before_ Gaara became Kazekage. I heard he started to change after the failed invasion. Does that mean Naruto-kun saved him then?"_ She returned her gaze to her newest guest. "When did Naruto-kun save Gaara?"

Tsume blinked. To her, the question was obvious. It was common knowledge, and most Suna Academy students were taught that their first year. As such, she was sure anybody in or near either Suna or Konoha would know. "When Orochimaru tricked our previous Kazekage into invading Konoha… Naruto-san became Kazekage-sama's first friend."

Rikka's face flushed ever so slightly in anger. _"Orochimaru, you snake! You only told us that though the invasion failed you had tagged your new body. Were you planning on hiding how Naruto-kun practically forged an alliance on his own?"_ Her eyes barely widened as another thought struck her, and she slowly turned to face Naruto talking to one of her metal fragments. _"No, did okaa-sama know?"_

* * *

Kiba and Akamaru dusted themselves off as they stood. They along with Lee noticed the area was getting brighter. It was nearing the end of the day, so they were expecting to take advantage of the dark and the decaying eyesight of the older Masato. Kiba gave a silent command through hand signs, and the three surrounded their opponent.

Masato chuckled. "Oh, a pincer attack?" He looked at the three youths in turn. "Such ants could never hope of touching me." He folded his arms close to his body, and the light in the area seemed to dim and…gather around him. "First Hangetsu to increase the light, then Gangetsu to destroy your bodies." He smirked as he flayed open his arms and millions of points of light spread out like pins.

Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee tried to defend themselves, but the pins of light ripped through their bodies. They barely managed to hold their ground as blood started oozing from numerous wounds. Masato chuckled and shook his head. "I'm impressed. I'm a master of Mikadzuki, myself, so I wasn't expecting that to finish you off, but I'm still very impressed."

Kiba smelled his blood. He smelled Lee's blood. Worst of all, he smelled Akamaru's blood. He looked to his canine companion to see him maintaining the _Juujin Bushin_, and he was snarling angrily at the old man. He was a little curious about something, so he decided to ask a question to let Lee move into position. "Hey, what do the phases of the moon have anything to do with anything?" He carefully eyed Lee.

Lee noticed the ocular movement and inched his way into a better position. He figured it was best to try to attack Masato from a blind spot, like behind him. He listened to his own movements as well as the old man's speech. _"I will do this, Kiba! Our fires of youth burn brightly, and we will soon prevail over this unyouthful opponent. Oh, Gai-sensei, watch over me and be proud from wherever you are!"_

"I suppose most clans don't have a reason to teach their children about the Kagennotsuki clan. I imagine the Hyuuga know plenty about us, though." His smirk broadened slightly as he felt the reactions from his opponents' minds. _"Oh, both these ants were placed on teams with Hyuuga. The green one was teamed with a genius, facing Saiga. The doggy one was placed with our dear guest. Oh-ho, interesting…"_

Kiba angrily flailed his arm to the side. Lee still needed time, so he felt a little noise and distracting movements might work in their favor. "You still haven't answered my question! What do the phases of the moon have to do with anything?" He paused to give his next question dramatic effect, like he just thought of it. "…and why would the Hyuuga know about you crazy Kagennotsuki?!"

Masato smiled dangerously. "Ah, excellent questions both. During the great shinobi wars _after_ the establishment of the nations both great and small, the Kagennotsuki were regularly used to defend Suna against wielders of doujutsu. The Hyuuga especially hated us because our _Eiki_ allowed us to nullify their juuken."

Lee rushed in, using a moment of his target's overconfidence. As soon as he was within two feet of his target, he was buffeted by waxing and waning pressure. He tried to stand his ground, but he was soon thrown away. He landed hard against the mountain side after moving through several trees. He quickly bounced back, but he felt dizzy from the varying levels of pressure he was subjected to.

Masato chuckled as he slowly looked over his shoulder to watch the heavy impact. "Oh, that looked dangerous." He looked back to Kiba as if nothing at all had happened. "As I was saying, _Eiki_ is our ability. With it, your abilities are but child's play to deal with." The light started intensifying in the area again, and Masato wore a malevolent grin.

* * *

Ino used another _Shinranshin_ when a bandit got too close, and Basuto quickly melted him with Kazanton. She used her family technique again, and he simply rid himself of the extra nuisance. Shino watched the way the bandits moved, carefully moving his insects from one to another in an attempt to get to their opponent.

Basuto's eye twitched, a possible nervous tick, before melting two of his own bandits with Kazanton. He eyed Shino with disgust before returning his attention to Ino and the remaining bandits. She was already getting tired, and she was likely to get desperate soon. These motions did not go unnoticed by Shino.

His mind processed the information, and he carefully called out so only Ino could hear him. "He's expecting you to show weakness first." He had to be duplicitous with his words, so he thought them out carefully. "Remember that match with Sakura in our first chunin exams." It was a statement rather than a question. "If possible, do what you did then."

Ino looked over her shoulder with an incredulous look. "But I _lost_ that fight!" No matter what anybody said, she still considered that fight her loss. Though it was a tie, the _weaker_ Sakura managed to overwhelm her for a draw. She was friends with Sakura again, but it didn't change anything.

Shino nodded, not wishing to argue. "That is exactly why." He returned his attention to Basuto as calmly as ever. Unseen, his eyes shifted to Ino to await her reaction. He didn't have to wait long. Maybe not as intelligent as Sakura, she still had the keen mind of a shinobi, and training alongside Shikamaru didn't hurt.

Her face reddened with anger. To anybody watching, she was furious. "Ugh, how can you be so calm at a time like this?!" She placed her hands in front of her face in a circle. She concentrated for a moment before yelling more of her frustrations. "That's it! I'm ending this, right now! _Ninpo: Shintenshin no Jutsu_!"

"Wait, Ino…" Though obviously wishing to stop his comrade, Shino's voice was as dull as ever. His eyebrows rose above his glasses as he rushed to catch the blond kunoichi as he realized he was too late. He set her on the ground and observed his opponent to see if it had worked.

"Oh-ho, _Shintenshin_ is an interesting jutsu, but it was foolish to use it without restraining me." He had jumped to one side as soon as Ino dedicated herself to the attack. "Now you are left alone, Aburame. Your kikaichu _fear_ Kazanton. You stand no chance against me."

Shino furrowed his brow. "It is as you say. I stand no chance against you alone." He noted Basuto's expression become more confident. _"You underestimate your opponents. I hope not all Yamamichi are like you, Basuto."_ His eyes fell to Ino. If the gambit didn't work, they were doomed.

The bandits rushed Shino. Unlike with Ino where they approached cautiously, they tried to overwhelm him. He fell into his fighting stance. Though the bandits were larger, their movements were clunky, and they didn't distribute their weight properly for effective strikes. He was able to easily dodge, parry, and counterattack while protectively hanging near his ally.

Basuto watched and smirked. _"So he _has_ figured it out. Those are Kazangan Bushin, and, if he's not careful, they'll liquefy his pretty, little kunoichi friend. Dance, Aburame, dance. You'll soon draw your last breath."_ He chuckled darkly as he watched his victims squirm to dear life. One had foolishly tried _Shintenshin_ against him, and the other was trying to protect her.

* * *

The ambient temperature seemed to drop well below freezing, and frost crept across each of Tenten's weapons. She and Neji watched in surprise as the weapons were hit by something, spun in midair, and then dropped to the ground. They each felt something whiz past them, and both were left with cuts across their cheeks. They wiped the blood away and wondered what just happened.

Neji entered into a low stance as he faced off against Saiga once more. Tenten was hanging back, waiting for the right moment. In a flurry of motion, Neji rushed Saiga and announced his attack. "_Hakke Rokujuuyonshou_!" He noticed it again. Though his hits landed, Saiga showed no signs of caring. He saw the splashes of chakra which usually indicated a closed tenketsu, so he was angered when all his attack ended up accomplishing was wasting his own chakra and throwing his opponent back.

Saiga dusted himself off as if nothing had happened at all. Tenten's eyes went wide as she watched another failed attempt, and she carefully watched Neji. He was catching his breath after the assault, and Saiga seemed content to let him. As she watched, she noticed something. Their breath was condensing into a heavy fog. She knew it felt cold, but they were moving around so much she hadn't actually taken notice.

With his Byakugan active, Neji didn't see his own breath or the breath of his opponent and teammate. He felt the arctic conditions. It made matters worse that he could only see Saiga mold chakra into _something_, but he couldn't really see _what_ cut them. He saw the vague outline, but his enhanced vision didn't give him enough warning to get out of the way.

He carefully breathed to collect himself. Whatever the case might be, his opponent was leaving himself open to attack. He was confident enough to not even block or parry, and he left counterattacking to when he had no choice. Neji eyed Tenten and nodded. Hopefully, the next tactic would work.

He carefully inched towards Saiga while concentrating on a powerful enough technique he hoped would overcome whatever strange defense his opponent was using. His eyes widened when his Byakugan expanded its perception, and he rushed in to strike. "_Hakke Hyakunijuuhachishou_!"

Neji carefully watched with his enhanced perception, and he finally came to understand why the juuken was ineffective. Saiga was able to put a coating of ice over his tenketsu before impact. His mind racing even as his attack continued, he began to unravel his opponent. Hyouton users only existed in two places within the great nations. In Housekiyama, the Kumorigachi were samurai who forsook the use of chakra. In Kiri, they were a feared clan wiped out to cleanse the land of the 'contamination' of kekkei genkai.

As he plunged into the final one-hundred and twenty eight palm strikes, he noticed something different. The ice wasn't able to cover the tenketsu fast enough. It was faltering. He pressed on in hopes of closing at least some of Saiga's tenketsu. If he could, Tenten could finish him off. He was confident in the brunette kunoichi's abilities. With the last palm strike, Neji leapt away to observe his work. He noticed, to his dismay, that he only managed to _damage_ a few tenketsu. Not a single one was closed.

Tenten took note of the situation. After Neji's most powerful attack, their opponent was only winded. He was wiping a small trickle of blood from the corner of his lips, but he appeared fine other than that. She stole a quick glance of Neji, not wanting to take her eyes off Saiga. He was still fine, but his chakra was dangerously low. She had to pick up the slack to let him rest.

She smirked. She didn't know what she could do, but her target was at least partially slowed down. Even if his tenketsu weren't all closed off, she was confident Neji closed off at least a few. She summoned a quarterstaff and rushed Saiga. She didn't want to give him time to recover or attack Neji. She swung a horizontal, crushing blow. He barely managed to dodge and was sent skidding as his bicep was clipped.

He clutched his bicep and sent her an icy glower. Covering the wound with ice, he released it while gathering more ice to throw ice kunai at her. She spun her staff to deflect and destroy the projectiles before jumping back and entering a ready stance. Neji noticed her stance was more offensive in nature, but he knew it was more important to recover than act as her shield. She was on her own for the moment.

* * *

Chouji swung his massive arms towards Yumiko to no avail. She easily dodged. She was wary enough not to try to parry his attacks with a juuken strike. She knew his bulk, alone, was enough to keep momentum and deal a decisive blow. Instead, she concentrated on parrying and counterattacking Suichi when he targeted her.

She frowned when he withdrew for the nth time. He was smart enough not to let his daishou become too stressed. They could take a beating, but too much would cause them to snap into pieces. As a samurai and a Kumorigachi, he was well training in recognizing exactly how much punishment his daishou could take, and he retreated before Yumiko could deliver a shattering blow.

She jumped back from another of Chouji's attacks. The big boy was getting on her nerves. He wasn't as agile as she or Suichi, but he more than made up for it in brute strength and cunning adaptability. She was sure she could handle the two of them, but it was going to take time. Time, of course, was a luxury she had plenty of. She was certain Daikichi could handle the red-headed kunoichi and the armored freak. Yes, time was a luxury she had more than enough of.

The cave rattled as Chouji's massive fist embedded itself in the sheer face. Yumiko decided to take advantage of his temporary paralysis. As her fist came forward, a katana and wakizashi crossed themselves in her path and thrust her away from her quarry. Chouji shrunk his arm and returned it to his side.

She growled as she faced off against Suichi again. He threw off a perfect opportunity, and she was going to make sure he paid for that. She didn't know any of the main house techniques, but she had created her own variants over the years. Her multi-strike juuken couldn't compare to the _Hakke_ stances, but they might put enough stress on the daishou to take the samurai out of the picture.

She launched herself into an undulation of attacks against her nearby opponent. Chouji saw what was coming and expanded his arms to dig out a chunk of earth from nearby. It was no Doton, but it was going to be enough to save Suichi's life. He threw it just as Yumiko's attacks became so fast the samurai was having difficulty tracking them.

Yumiko smiled in satisfaction as the daishou sang their own death. To Suichi, they were crying. As she was about to land the final blow, a mass of rock came between her and her prey. Not wishing to damage her hands, she jumped back before her attack concluded. Her face crinkled in anger and disgust as she watched her opponents regroup. _"If I knew the Hakke stance, they would not be laughing at me!"_ Her angry thoughts boiled her blood.

* * *

"_Ninpo: Niban no Kyuubi_!" Kanaeru narrowed her eyes. The first time she faced off against Daikichi, he could barely keep up with her _Ichiban no Kyuubi_. As she entered _Niban no Kyuubi_, he was easily matching her step-for-step. _"What's worse, I feel like I'm going slower than usual!"_ She whipped out her chain, only for him to easily block it. Her brow furrowed. If he found that easy to deal with when it was stronger, it was less of a hassle in her current stance.

Gayt stood back and watched. His mistress ordered him not to interfere. As he obeyed, he held a silent conversation with Star. _"Kanaeru-sama's movements are slower than usual. The room's temperature appears to be affecting her. Is it mana?"_ He paused for a moment to listen to her response. _"The Kumorigachi are samurai and having learned how to mold chakra. Are you certain it's chakra?"_ The fleck of light flashed angry red. _"Very well, I'll observe Kanaeru-sama for a while longer."_

Kanaeru moved around her target as fast as she could while stretching her chain out to strike him as many times as possible. While standing in one spot, he turned to keep his eyes on her and easily parried her strikes with his bow. She grew flustered and stopped for a moment. If he was going to play mind games with her, she was taking it up a notch. "_Ninpo: Sanban no Kyuubi_!" It was a dangerous gamble, but she felt she could risk it.

While she was stopped to mold chakra, he notched an arrow. He drew the bowstring taught as she released her chakra and called out her attack. He let loose the arrow just as she finished, and she was forced to block it. In the intermission, he drew two more arrows and notched them at precise angles.

She rushed towards him in a wide arc to try to force him to use the projectiles before moving in. When he didn't, she pivoted to sharpen her angle while wrapping her chains into a partial dome. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed how bad the frost was getting, and they widened in surprise when she heard two clinks from arrows ricocheting off her shield. She winced in pain as both shoulders were cut. The arrows' trajectory were masterfully pulled off, and she was forced to jump back to inspect her own wounds.

Gayt stood between Daikichi and Kanaeru as she lowered her shield. She wore a furious mask as she berated him. "Who gave you permission to interfere in my fight?! He is _my _opponent!" She winced when she tried to push him aside, and she looked at her wound again. It was a deep gash, possibly damaging muscles.

Gayt kept his gaze straight ahead, locked on Daikichi. "I cannot allow Kanaeru-sama to be harmed too greatly. I am only a kousotsu, but that only makes it my job to ensure your safety." He barely angled his head to make it appear he was talking directly to her while maintaining his gaze on his target. "Besides, I am immune to chakra, so I won't be slowed. You can't even enter _Yonban no Kyuubi_ safely at this point."

She hated to admit it, but she didn't have the same recovery speed as either her father or late sister. She barely had a fraction of their power through family inheritance. She felt around the room and focused on Daikichi. No, she the wounds to her shoulders were enough to prevent her from using anything more than the Uzumaki lineage. "He's no pushover, and you have the same disadvantage as him. Neither of you can mold chakra, so don't assume his weak Hyouton inheritance is meaningless."

Daikichi sent his targets a glower. They were both confident enough to face him one-on-one. It was their own downfall. After their last encounter, he had no desire to hold back. He could never mold chakra, but he learned a thing or two from his son, Saiga. He learned to 'release' cold, so the ambient temperature nearby dropped quite low. It was useful in slowing down anybody who used chakra to speed up.

Because of his usual tasks, he was never able to test his new technique. He planned to use it to defeat the red-headed kunoichi before toying around with the armored hulk. However, he never saw the kousotsu, a most appropriate title, move from where he was standing to defending his prey. He wasn't going to stand for it. He notched and arrow and let it fly. He targeted a joint, a usual weak spot in armors.

Faster than the behemoth should have been able to move, he swatted the incoming projectile away with a heavy gauntleted fist. He held his arm out, and Daikichi took a step back. What kind of monster was this kousotsu? He shakily reached for his quiver and snaked his fingers around three more. He nearly stumbled backwards at what he saw.

Gayt's outstretched, right arm was glowing as very visible energy moved towards it. The fleck of light circled his hand before merging with the coalescing energy. "I am Gayt, kousotsu to Uzumaki Kanaeru. I serve the Uzumaki, live and die for them. I am freed from my eternal prison and grateful to the sumitsuki who used the Fuuin to stabilize me to that which I lost." His arm faltered for a moment as a very heavy looking two-handed sword seemed to materialize.

Daikichi regained his confidence and chuckled. "What do you expect to do with that? It's so heavy you can…" He stared in amazement as his breath was taken from him. "…barely…" He paused with wide eyes as Gayt easily hefted the sword to test it. "…even…" He dropped an arrow as the armored behemoth rested the ridiculous blade against his shoulder. "…lift…it…" He was dumbfounded, and the only noise left in the room was the arrow clattering against the floor.

* * *

Inoichi was in Tsunade's office as he was ordered. Sasame was there before he arrived, and he discovered Tsunade called her as back up. He couldn't argue with the logic. The Fuuma clan was famous for its medical techniques. Rice lost a great clan when Orochimaru wiped them out. Had they really thought they could win opposing him without aid?

He approached the unconscious Tsume and observed her for a moment. To any outside observer, she might appear in a peaceful slumber. With just that quick glance, Inoichi knew better. He turned to his commander-in-chief. "Excuse me Hokage-sama, but why not just remove the genjutsu yourself?" He knew her extreme chakra control allowed her to do something so very easily.

She shook her head. "Unfortunately, it's much more difficult than that." She indicated Kankuro. "He informs me the Tomoyuki aren't easily affected by genjutsu, and Sasame tells me it originates from very far away. Someone used Tsume's link to Naruto to trap her mind in a very unusual genjutsu."

Inoichi raised a brow to question Tsunade to continue. The blond sannin closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It's complicated. Let's just say it was necessary to use some strange jutsu to link Tomoyuki Tsume to Uzumaki Naruto. It's nothing serious, so just tell me what you can."

He nodded and turned back to the girl. "So you're Tomoyuki Tsume, huh? That makes things easier." He placed the butt of his palm on her forehead and cupped the rest of his fingers over the top of her head. Kankuro looked nervous in the background. Eyes closed and without looking, he answered his fears. "Don't worry; I'm not going to read her mind. It's rude to read an ally's mind, anyway. Nah, I'm just going to find out who invited this little one here to a party without a chaperone."

Tsunade rolled her eyes at the bad joke. "I swear; Shikaku is rubbing off on you. Just get on with it." She watched him smirk before scowling as he concentrated. She was confident he could find something, even with his bad jokes.

He forced his chakra into the girl's body, so he could use a Yamanaka secret technique. It wasn't one he taught his daughter yet, but she would inherit it soon enough. He stretched his perception and searched through the corridors of her mind. He didn't need to go deep into her mind. He was concerned only about the present. He found what he was looking for surprisingly quick, and the smirked showed on his face.

He tried to push through the murk protecting whatever was going on, but he soon broke out into a cold sweat. His eyes flew open as he jumped to his feet. He staggered several steps back before his knees buckled, and he fell flat on his butt. He swallowed as he tried to regain his composure.

Tsunade rushed to Inoichi as Sasame rushed to Tsume. Kankuro had to force Mori and Hishu to stand back. Finding Inoichi only disoriented, she looked to Sasame and breathed a sigh of relief. The young kunoichi was leaning back letting out a deep sigh of relief. In the endeavor, nobody was harmed.

Tsunade stood with a huff. "Well, that proved to be more dangerous than I thought." She looked to Kankuro and the miffed boys he no longer had to restrain…barely. She wanted to roll her eyes and speak her mind. _"If only they were my ninja, I'd teach them not to get so worked up."_ She locked eyes with the Suna jonin. "If you don't mind, further examination is going to require you three to leave."

Kankuro nodded and started to lead his genin out of the office. Hishu turned to Tsunade. "I can respect that you're the leader of _this_ village, but she's _our_ teammate from _our_ village. You better not let her get hurt!" He strained to release enough killer intent to make her waver.

Mori was only slightly more composed. "We can understand that you are a respected sannin and Kage. However, her abilities may be outside your purview. Do proceed with caution."

Each genin earned a welt on the head from their jonin instructor. Kankuro rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama; they speak out of line far too often. Perhaps I've given them too much leeway, but they are all valuable to me. I hope you understand." He wasn't about to threaten Tsunade like his genin, but he was just as concerned.

She nodded graciously and with a bit of a motherly glint to her eyes. She had a soft spot for children, perhaps in spite of Naruto's behavior. No, perhaps he simply reignited that soft spot she thought dead from her brother and lover's deaths. "You three get out of here. We need to rescue Tsume, and we can't do that with you hanging around."

* * *

Tsume clutched her head in both ands and fell to her knees. It felt like something was trying to probe her link to Naruto before being forcibly repelled. It wasn't the probing that hurt. It was when the presence was ripped away that she felt pain wash over her. She looked up to her 'gracious' host.

Rikka's eyes seemed to glow slightly, but the light died down quickly. "Oh, that looks painful. Hopefully they won't try that again. Yamanaka have a nasty habit of clinging to minds they're invading." There was venom to her mind-spoken words when she made mention of the Konoha clan. She turned back to her newest guest with a serene expression.

"Wh-What did you do to me?" Tsume was confused. She didn't know how she experienced such pain from somebody being expelled from her mind. Then again, she never had anybody moving threw her mind. She was finding the day filled with new experiences, and she wanted nothing more than to relate what she felt around Naruto to Tsunade. It felt like that medical team might just be needed.

Rikka's smile widened. "Oh, I only protected you from a severe invasion of privacy. Who knows _what_ that mean Yamanaka might have looked up in your pretty, little mind? Who knows what _secrets_ he might have learned? Oh, poor Tsume…you have such a harsh life."

Tsume poorly imitated an agitated if thoughtful look as she narrowed her eyes to watch her captor. "You're afraid of him; aren't you?" She was certain the venom in her voice and choice of words recently indicated a fear. She couldn't be certain because she couldn't sense her chakra, however.

Rikka tensed, but it went unnoticed by the normally blind Tomoyuki. "The Kagennotsuki clan fears no one." She eyed the other scenes playing out. They were moving much slower, but they were bearing fruit. However, it meant her mind was fragmented between four forces now. She had to keep Naruto, Hinata, and Tsume entertained while defending against Inoichi.

* * *

"What do you want?" Naruto practically screamed to Rikka. He knew he was in a genjutsu, and he was fairly certain the girl standing before him was controlling it. She talked about him becoming her father, which he frankly thought impossible. She was blabbering on about how dirty Konoha was, and he wasn't going to stand for that. "I have precious people in Konoha!"

He blinked as he was surrounded by everybody he considered a precious person, no matter how close they happened to be. Of course, she was careful to only make those from Konoha appear. "Out of an entire city, only this many have recognized you. Are you saying the trashy city is really worth saving? You should destroy it yourself!"

Naruto scoffed. "No way! I'm going to become Hokage, and then they'll no for sure! Uzumaki Naruto is the greatest, and they'll see me for who I am!" He didn't know what was with the girl, but she seemed unforgiving and uncaring. It reminded him, sadly, of what he might have become and what Gaara was.

The people Rikka created from the genjutsu melted away, and Naruto seemed quite embittered from the scene. She carefully surrounded him with silhouettes before she spoke. "You notice the greater numbers, correct?" He nodded, and she smirked in victory. "These are the people from a single, foreign country who recognize you, and this country happens to have a smaller population than Konoha."

He was surrounded by the people of Greens and the caravan he helped escort with Hinata and Chouji. Standing right next to him was the princess who proposed to him; though, he didn't recognize her words for what they were. If he did, he'd still have declined her offer, but he did recognize the number of people was significantly larger than previous…

* * *

I loved Tsunade's reaction in the latest _Naruto_ manga release! Faith! Show those advisory council members! Ha!

As a note, I state the the world Tsume is brought into has "exaggerated colors" and is "overly stylized". I was kind of imagining a look like _Mad World_ or _No More Heroes_ (both Wii titles as a FYI). In case you were wondering for a reference, you may have an idea now.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,096  
Story Page Count: 16.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

Kazanton - Lava Element: Kazanton is a kekkei genkai belonging to the minor Yamamichi clan in northern Fire. They are considered the first line of defense against full-scale invastion against Earth; though, they also serve as a deterrent against Lightning.

Mochidzuki - Full Moon: _Eiki_ of young, eight to fifteen year old, Kagennotsuki. It is characterized by a strong ability to link minds into intricate webs of communication. Though that skill remains and weakens as the Kagennotsuki ages, another skill does not. Mochidzuki is also able completely control a genjutsu like no master could even going so far as crushing the mind(s) of the victim(s) if the will is too weak.

Hangetsu - Half-Moon: _Eiki_ of adult, sixteen to twenty-seven year old, Kagennotsuki. It is characterized by the loss of genjutsu control and the most drastic drop in mind-link ability. Hangetsu introduces the ability to control the intensity of light within a limited range. The range depends on the individual's strength, skill, and age. Each new _Eiki_ weakens the control.

Gengetsu - Crescent Moon: _Eiki_ of middle aged, twenty-eight to fourty-two year old, Kagennotsuki. It introduces the ability to turn light into a weapon.

Mikadzuki - New Moon: _Eiki_ of Kagennotsuki in their twilight years, fourty-three to fifty-eight year old. The chakra poisoning in the body is so bad that death is inevitable after this _Eiki_. Mikadzuki introduces the ability to affect pressure through a limited distortion in time and space, making it similar to teleportation or summining techniques. To some extent, a Kagennotsuki living long enough to attain this _Eiki_ is controlling gravity.

_Ninpo: Shintenshin no Jutsu _- _Mind and Body Change Technique_: Though dangerous, _Shintenshin_ is a low level technique with heavy tradeoffs. If it misses, the user is left defenseless for five minutes. If it succeeds, the user has complete control of the victim.

_Kazangan Bushin no Jutsu_ - _Lava Clone Technique_: A very high level technique, _Kazangan Bushin_ creates humanoid replicas of any victim a Kazanton user has defeated in battle and melted. As such, the user cannot actually make clones of himself, as with most other _Bushin no Jutsu_. _Kazangan Bushin_ are very resiliant and take fatal blows to die. They even leave behind bodies when defeated; though, they can crumble away at the Kazanton user's will.

_Hakke Rokujuuyonshou _-_ Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand_: Besides being a mouthful, this high-level juuken stance is capable of closing off all tenketsu. _Hakke Rokujuuyonshou_ is capable of rendering the victim nearly unable to move let alone fight.

_Hakke Hyakunijuuhachishou_ -_ Eight Divination Signs, One-Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms of the Hand_: A true mouthful, _Hakke Hyakunijuuhachishou_ is among the deadliest techniques of the juuken. This technique could condemn the victim to a painful death.

_Ninpo: __Sanban no Kyuubi_ - _Ninja Art: Third of the Nine Tails_: The user gains even more speed while losing more strength. The user is still only able to control one Fuuin in this stance.

_Ninpo: Yonban no Kyuubi_ - _Ninja Art: Fourth of the Nine Tails_: The user gains significanly more speed with a significant drop in strenght. _Yonban no Kyuubi_ is dangerous for how quickly strikes accumulate rather than damage through brute strength. The user can utilize an additional Fuuin in this stance.


	9. Chapter 8: The Mind's Eye

TimeShifter: It was, indeed, a typo. Thank you, and it has been fixed. I also noticed another typo. I meant Greens not Grass, mission with Hinata and Chouji. Daikichi can't _mold_ chakra. As _Naruto_ and other ninja-based anime/manga have shown, all living things (flaura and fauna) create chakra to some extent. He'll explain further, and on Saiga's 'condition' too. Basuto is _not_ a husband... As his siblings, his eyes are dulled ashen. I just wanted to explain that before skipping a few questions... Star is Gayt's partner. Further than that, she'll be explained later. I'm glad for the questions, though. They remind me where I'm not transparent enough or when things went off perfectly.

samueltm2: It's true that I _could_ potentially update whenever I want, but I have my bachelor's degree to earn and a full-time job. Hopefully my readers can understand that this is a distant fifth or sixth on my priority list. Hehehe...

* * *

**Chapter 8:  
The Mind's Eye  
**

Hinata blinked as she watched the scene play out before her. She was lying on her chest, and she was pinned by Rikka who had her arm twisted back. The short spar had been pitiful, but she stood no chance without access to her chakra. However, she wasn't surprised by any of what transpired with her. No, she was surprised at what she was allowed to see going on around Naruto.

Rikka brought her mouth to her captive's ear. "You see…" She cooed. "…his life is so miserable in Konoha." She looked up for a second as if thinking. Her eyes glazed slightly as she received some information, and she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Oh, how romantic. Too bad, though. He turned her down."

"Wh-What are you doing to him?!" Hinata tried her best to struggle, but she couldn't loosen her arm from her captor's grip. She recognized the people surrounding Naruto. They were from Greens. The woman standing beside him was the princess they rescued. _"She even, she even…"_

Rikka smirked and continued her thoughts. "…proposed to him." She laughed at the baleful glare she received. "Oh, don't give me that look. Your surface thoughts are as plain as day." She released the captive arm and sat on her thighs instead. It would still be clumsily difficult to get up.

Hinata really didn't feel like struggling as she returned her gaze to watch her crush. With his fist raised and flailing at just the right intervals, it looked like he was, once again, fighting the mental barrage. "You don't know anything about him. He's strong, and he'll do anything for his friends…for Konoha."

Rikka scoffed. "Oh, I have no doubt of that. He's as dense as they come, and trying to break him's a bear." She sighed and wondered how her family was doing. Her thoughts wandered to her mother. _"If an alliance that Naruto helped forge was actually accepted by the village, is it possible more people accept him than he realizes?"_

"You're wrong!" She blinked as she looked at the suddenly boisterous Hinata. "He's not dense or stupid or…" She sighed as she realized she couldn't actually avoid the truth. After all, he hadn't noticed her hints after all those years, and it seemed her 'secret crush' wasn't so much a secret to anybody _but_ him. "Maybe he is, but he's kind, and he's sweet, and he's the most honest, hard-working person I know! He already knows there are a lot of people elsewhere who accept him!"

Rikka sighed. _"Delusional, why are they always so delusional?"_ She rolled her eyes and leaned back against her hands. "Even if he realizes it, this is probably the first time he's been confronted by it. I could show him Snow or Waves or any number of places passing through his thoughts now."

Hinata lost a little light from her eyes. "You're wrong; you know." She found her strength and determination as she watched him. "Naruto-kun is strong. He has people who believe in him, who would fight and die for him. We are his nakama, and we won't let you hurt him!"

Rikka was only slightly surprised by the shy girl's outburst. She could see the care and affection she held close to her heart for the brash blond. She had a feeling, however, it might be easier to break the shy Hyuuga out of her shell than to make said blond betray Konoha.

* * *

"I'm going to become Hokage! Then they'll recognize me for who I am!" Naruto was adamant in his claim. He _knew_ he was fully capable of fulfilling his dream. He even had Kakashi on his side, encouraging him. He wasn't about to let some snot-nosed brat tell him otherwise.

Rikka didn't transmit her sigh. They tried the torture and torment. They tried a form of shock therapy of introducing the drastic differences between Konoha and elsewhere. "They'll never let you _be_ Hokage."

Naruto crossed his arms defiantly as he looked down his nose at her. "They can fight it all they want; I'll overcome _anything_ to be Hokage!" He rubbed his nose confidently. "Neji couldn't beat me with his fate. Do you think I'll let some old geezers keep me from where I belong?"

"What about all the others?" Rikka tapped her foot somewhat impatiently when he gave her a confused look. She swept her arm to indicate the phantoms of Greens. "All these people! Don't their opinions matter?"

He chuckled, kicked the ground, and put his hands behind his head. "Of course they do! A good Hokage makes lots of friends and allies." He was quite proud of how many people he knew and had formed fast friendships with.

She narrowed her eyes as she contemplated. He really was rather difficult. "Why bother with Konoha? If you accept okaa-sama's offer, you'll be surrounded by lots of people who recognize you." She frowned slightly when she heard his answer in stereo, his mind nearly yelling it slightly different.

His face fell, and his expression was a sad smile. "The people of Konoha know more about me than most of those people you showed me. When I become Hokage, people will see the real me. They'll be in awe of the _real me_. I'm sure it was my own conceit I'd have left long ago, but I understand how they feel. You know?"

She looked at him carefully. "No…" He chuckled, confusing her further. _"He is baffling. His mind is a rather easy target, but his will is strong."_ She quickly glanced over to Hinata. _"Besides that, she's drawing strength and encouragement from just watching him. Did we miscalculate? Okaa-sama, hurry back with otou-san to help me!"_

* * *

Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee charged Masato knowing too much light meant another powerful attack. His lips curved into a pompous smirk as they closed in. "Too slow!" He swept his arms outward, and the light seemed to shape into needles as it exploded outwards. However, the charging youths were widely missed.

Surprised gasps erupted from the brush as the _Bushin_ simply dissipated. Lee was the first to stumble out of the bushes. His wide eyes watched Masato. He chuckled and responded. Of course, his lips still weren't moving. His words simply popped into their heads. "Ah, you're surprised. You're diversion, while masterfully planned, was not enough to trick me."

"Then let's level the playing field!" Kiba announced as he leapt out of the bushes. Akamaru leapt from his hiding spot growling and still maintaining his lookalike form. As they were running, they twisted their bodies to prepare for the next attack. "_Gatsuuga_!" The corkscrew attack trained on its target as it hurtled through the air.

Masato smirked as he activated the time-space attack to alternate the pressure around him. He blinked when he heard another attack called from behind him in the same boisterous voice. "_Dynamic Marking_!" Akamaru, the giant, white dog, jumped overhead and sprayed urine directly overhead. The alternating pressure ensured he was evenly coated in the acidic liquid.

The _Gatsuuga_ impacted a moment later, but the attackers were merely thrown back. The Kiba in the pair that showered Masato sniggered at his twitching eyebrow and ready-to-explode vein. "Hey, look't that. It worked. _Juujin Bushin_!" The Akamaru who sprayed their victim once more took on his master's form. They both wore wide grins as they watched their opponent look between their _Tsuchi Bushin_ and them.

Masato closed his eyes as the yellow substance showered on him. It reeked of ammonia, and he was none too fond of the trick. _"Why you underhanded Konoha shinobi…!"_ In a true act of restraint, he kept his thoughts to himself. _"I heard their plan, so why's it so different? They were going to hide in the bushes with the normal _Bushin_ distracting me. When that didn't work, they switched to a head on attack for distraction followed by the green one."_

He slowly eyed each 'person' in front of him. They each, all _five_, had individual thoughts. There was a single Lee, and he seemed as incapable of performing ninjutsu as ever. Nothing about him changed. The problem was the presence of two Kiba and two Akamaru minds. He scanned their surface thoughts as best as he could. _"These ants! How are they doing this?"_

He blinked when he noticed movement out of his peripheral vision. He eyed Kiba as he ran through hand signs to Akamaru and Lee. He turned his head to face each in turn. They replied with their own hand signs. _"That's interesting. Even if they're using hand signs, they still have to think about what they're saying."_ He paused and chuckled. _"Oh, that's it. I hear them now. Clever ants."_

Kiba noticed their adversary smirk as if he realized something. He was already running through the hand seals necessary for his next tactic, and his substantial _Tsuchi Bushin_ were preparing another _Gatsuuga_ as they twisted their bodies. "We've taken care of whatever genjutsu you were using to make us miss your defenses. Gotta hand it to Kurenai-sensei to keep us prepared for anything."

* * *

"Okay, it's time for that lecture I promised you." Kurenai rolled her eyes when she heard Kiba groan. Hinata and Shino, at least, she could rely on not to grouse when it was time to learn useful things _besides_ the more 'exciting' taijutsu and ninjutsu. "Don't give me that, Kiba."

He grumbled but sat down anyway. Akamaru, the small pup, curled up on his lap. Hinata neatly sat by him, but Shino preferred to lean against the tree behind them. With a nod to acknowledge their attention, Kurenai began her lesson. "In the world of shinobi, there is far more than taijutsu and ninjutsu. That's just the flashy stuff everybody sees on the battlefield."

Kiba scoffed. "Yeah, it's what being a ninja's all about! That 'flashy stuff' wins wars and completes missions." He confidently smiled and scratched Akamaru behind his ear when the small, white pup yipped his agreement. He grew concerned as he watched his sensei's expression.

Kurenai smiled wickedly. "You're partly right, but no ninja worth his or her salt has ever survived on flash alone. Even Konoha no Kiiroi Senkou, our very own Fourth, knew that the art of the shinobi was the art of deception. Therefore, a shinobi should know genjutsu, or at least how to disrupt it."

Again, Kiba scoffed. "Yeah right, like any genjutsu can get past us. We got Hinata's eyes, Shino's kikaichu, and my nose and ears. What can possibly stop us?" Akamaru whined, wondering if his master should be so confident. He was starting to wonder, himself.

Kurenai waited to see if Hinata or Shino would comment. While Shino remained difficult to read, Hinata was uncomfortable. Obviously, the young kunoichi understood the dangers of underestimating a good genjutsu or its masters. "You think too highly of yourself, and that's your downfall. Tell me, how can you escape a genjutsu if caught in one?"

Kiba grinned widely and confidently. "That's easy! Any first year academy student knows that! You either mold your chakra or inflict pain to disrupt the hold." Akamaru growled and yipped to remind his master of something they saw on a mission. "Oh yeah, that doesn't explain how you were able to cut that one guy you captured in your genjutsu…"

While he was thinking, Hinata chimed in. "U-Uh Kiba-kun, ge-genjutsu is about m-more than simple tricks. Y-You can a-attack any of the se-senses, or e-even the m-mind. Some are v-very hard t-t-to disrupt." She closed her eyes, hoping he wouldn't be mad about being talked back to.

He didn't notice as he looked up to the sky and slammed one fist into an open palm. He tightened his face as he noticed her flinch. _"Note to self, you gotta be careful around Hinata."_ His grin widened as he reassured her. "You're right! I totally forgot! Thanks Hinata!"

Kurenai shook her head when she saw her blush at the compliment before continuing her lecture. "That's right. A simple genjutsu targets one of the five senses. The easiest and most common target the visual, aural, or olfactory centers. Less commonly, a more skilled genjutsu master can target taste or sensation. The most difficult and least commonly used genjutsu target a user's nervous system and mind."

Kiba scratched his chin. He never thought it was so complicated. He knew few shinobi claimed to be genjutsu specialists, and fewer could claim to be masters of Kurenai's caliber. "Man, they didn't tell us any of that in the academy. We were just taught how to disrupt the flow of chakra to avoid having to hurt ourselves. Nee-chan never really went over that stuff with me, either."

Kurenai was about to speak up when she was interrupted by Hinata. She was surprised, so she decided to listen until the end without interjecting. "Th-That's because most n-new genin won't n-n-need to worry about anything too b-bad until m-much later. Be-Besides, it's v-very h-hard for even m-most chunin to b-break mental ge-genjutsu."

Satisfied the pause was long enough, Kurenai stepped in to finish. "Among jutsu a shinobi can learn, genjutsu is the least flashy and most deceptive. You've also got to catch your opponent off guard, so it becomes the most difficult to use. Some of our basic jutsu, such as _Kawarimi_, use an element of genjutsu."

She took a breath as she thought for a moment. "It's not all about how powerful you are. In our line of work, it's sometimes more about the mission and how well it was completed. An enemy with a clever genjutsu is just as dangerous as an enemy with an overwhelming ninjutsu." She looked up when she noticed slight movement. "You have a question, Shino?"

He tilted his head slightly as he set his eyes on Kurenai. He thought for a moment before answering. "It's nothing important, Kurenai-sense. I was just wondering if this lecture might include ways to deal with such genjutsu."

She nodded. She always liked how straight to the point Aburame were. "I wanted to introduce the types a bit more, but I think I might have an interesting idea. I'll explain the ways to combat a genjutsu, and then I'll quiz you on what types match up to which defense methods." She had to admit; it was fun watching the faces of her students fall.

"As your academy teachers taught you, you can disrupt the flow of chakra in your body or cause yourself pain. There are other methods which cause less harm to your fighting capabilities. You can overpower the genjutsu user's chakra. It doesn't work so well if your opponent has more chakra than you."

"You can also find and concentrate on an abnormality. These are usually hard to spot, but it really helps conserve chakra and stamina. You can cause your opponent enough damage. Of course, it might be difficult under the circumstances. Finally, you can do something which takes years of practice to truly master. You can 'layer' your thoughts, so you have multiple trains of thought."

* * *

Masato clapped his hands, confusing Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee. "I've really got to hand it to you. I didn't think you ants could figure out something so interesting." However, he had noticed Lee wasn't very good at it. He also didn't understand Akamaru's thoughts, so it seemed rather pointless for the canine to be multitasking his thoughts. It just meant he had to be more careful.

The _Tsuchi Bushin_ rushed their target when the light in the area intensified again. Unlike the past two times, the light continued to grow brighter to blinding. _"Gatsuuga_!" The _Tsuchi Bushin_ Kiba called out, and he and the _Tsuchi Bushin_ Akamaru charged in a swirling vortex of fangs and claws. They impacted the seemingly solid mass of pressure. It was strong enough to disrupt their forms, but they served their purpose.

With the distraction, the real Kiba and Akamaru finished their powerful technique. "_Inuzuka Ryuu Chinjuu Konbi Henge: Soutou Rou_!" Masato watched as a huge, snarling, and dual-headed wolf emerged where the Inuzuka and his dog once stood. It violently growled before taking a swipe at him.

His eyes widened as he activated his defense. He was half-expecting the giant beast's sensitive eyes to be blinded by the intense light. As the giant paw impacted his defense and sent him flying, he remembered the shower of urine he received earlier in the fight. _"Of course, the mutt 'marked his territory'!"_ He kept changing pressure to correct his trajectory and land safely.

He landed just in time to feel a fist impact his jaw and send him flying upward. His face clenched as he realized he had just been punched for the first time in over a decade. He then heard a terrifying phrase that sent shivers down his spine. "_Garouga_!" Despite using the varying pressure, he felt a sharp pain as the super-sized _Gatsuuga_ impacted his lower back. He was sent into an uncontrolled spin as he hurtled to the ground and landed with a sickening thud.

The dual-headed wolf landed, panting. After a moment, it separated into Kiba and Akamaru. They both reverted back to normal. While Akamaru collapsed to the ground, Kiba had one hand on his knee as he sent Lee a thumbs-up. He was glad their plan worked because he wasn't sure what he'd have to do if Lee's uppercut hadn't connected.

Masato lay face down in the dirt as he thought over what just happened. The light in the area died down some when he was sent into the uncontrollable flight, but it was spiking once again. He felt and heard his bones creak as he forced himself up. Slowly, he first came to a foot, a knee, and a hand. He smirked at the dumbfounded expressions on his opponents' faces.

When he finally, wobbly stood, the light in the area was already greater than it had been. It was almost blinding, even to him. He managed to keep his aging blue eyes on Kiba and Akamaru as he gathered light in his hands. "That was an interesting trick you pulled, but I'm willing to bet it used a whole lot of chakra. You probably used it in desperation, hoping you and your green friend could finish me off."

Kiba chuckled. "I can't fault your logic there." Inwardly, he kicked himself. He didn't think the old man would be able to get up after such a barrage. He worked out a far more extensive plan than he usually did, and it still wasn't enough. He knew he was almost out of chakra, but Akamaru was even more drained. _"I shouldn't have tried the _Tsuchi Bushin _when my elemental training isn't complete…"_

He reached into his tool pouch and rolled a soldier pill between his thumb and forefinger. He carefully watched their opponent, but knew he had to get his stamina and chakra back. He rolled another into his hand and pulled both out. With a quick motion, he tossed one to Akamaru and popped on in his own mouth. That out of the way, he signaled Lee.

Masato chuckled. They weren't playing that 'mind trick' they were playing before. "You need a few minutes; do you?" He watched the teenager's wide-eyed expression with a wide smirk as he forced back laughter. "That was an impressive attack. I'll have to take you our before you regroup." He didn't care if he sounded scared. _"That ant… If I didn't use Mikadzuki to alter the pressure when I did, I really would have been finished."_

Kiba narrowed his eyes as the elder shinobi started on a long string of hand seals. _"Either this guy knows Konoha sign language or he can read minds. I can't take any chances. I'll just go back to using Kurenai-sensei's training for mind and nervous system based genjutsu. It seemed to surprise him before."_ He signed Lee and took note of Masato's disgruntled look. _"Bingo!"_

Masato finished his string of hand seals and targeted Kiba and Akamaru. "Now die. _Ninpo: Hikari Renda_!" The light in the area actually appeared to solidify around the chakra gathered in his hands as he thrust them forward. The area dimmed as if it were the twilight hours, but two globs of light headed each towards Kiba and Akamaru.

Masato noticed and turned to Lee just in time to hear his thought. His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed two things. One, there were large indentations in the ground centered around…weights. Two, the green one wasn't there! _"Impossible! Who would teach such a foolish technique to someone so young?"_ He didn't have time to ponder his own question as he felt something impact and deflect his powerful technique.

In a flash of realization, he altered the pressure around himself just in time. He felt a fist barely graze his shoulder, but the force was enough to send him spinning and nearly dislocate it. He grasped the shoulder as he watched the owner of the fist, Lee, stare at him for only a moment and disappear in a burst of pure speed.

Lee ran at full speed. He knew he could penetrate the defense of altering pressure. He surmised it was something of gravity control, and there was a time delay in using it. It was also random, explaining why it could deflect a solid object even while a liquid completely soaked him. Also, the elder shinobi was no where near as fast as Neji, his rival.

He cocked a fist as he threw a kick. The pressure activated, but he threw and uppercut before he could be blown away. The fist veered wide, and he landed several feet back. As he came to a temporary stop, he checked his progress. Masato was still grasping his shoulder, obviously in pain. Along with the nearly dislocated shoulder, he also sported a large bruise and shallow gash along his cheek.

Lee contemplated his progress as he ran circles around his opponent. It would be difficult to perform ninjutsu with an arm in such shape, but kekkei genkai rarely relied on much more than thought. The cheek injury only served as a distraction. He needed to do more damage. He rushed in again with a low leg sweep. When pressure deflected that, he turned the change in momentum into another attack.

Masato was in trouble, and he knew it. Under normal circumstances, speed and strength were of no asset to him. He was able to deflect one attack only for another to come. He watched as the green one turned a failed sweep into a full body flip and twist. His opponent actually used the reversed momentum to lower his upper body to the ground and twist his legs in the air. He recognized it as an advanced taijutsu technique, specifically of the goken family.

He skidded back several feet. Along with nursing an injured arm, his cheek was cut and lip split. He smelled and tasted blood, and he was sure his face was a mess. He spun as he felt a presence behind him, but he was far to low on chakra to defend as a giant, white dog clamped his maw over his good shoulder. He gritted his teeth to attempt to bear the pain.

"Ha, hold 'im right there Akamaru!" The dog familiar growled his compliance. Kiba wore a wide smirk as he twisted his body. He called out his technique as he leapt at their opponent. "_Tsuuga_!" He was proud of his partner for holding the elder shinobi down as he was. He increased the speed of his spin and used the scent of Akamaru's urine to lead him to his target.

He impacted squarely in Masato's chest, and he heard his canine companion jump back at the last second to avoid being caught up. Hearing bones snapping, he relented on his assault and pulled back. As he landed, he watched the old man's head fall back as he collapsed to his knees. "Don't go underestimating your opponents!"

Masato fell face first into the dirt. Seeing the task complete, Lee returned to normal. His skin no longer held the unnatural near purple color as his legs gave out. He was panting on all fours to collect himself. The battle was hard fought, and he was sure it was a victory. He wore a big grin as he recollected Kiba's plan. They had to go all out, but they managed to surprise Masato and catch him off guard by using anti-genjutsu techniques.

Kiba and Akamaru barely had any chakra left, and they maintained themselves thanks to soldier pills alone. They wobbled slightly before sitting down like their comrade. Also like him, they were smiling in their own ways, nearly laughing. "I guess we showed him! It was a lot of hard work, but it showed our years of training have paid off!"

Lee nodded. "I cannot agree more. You put on a most youthful performance. I could feel your flames of youth, and we defeated a most unyouthful foe. Though we should respect our elders, let us not follow in his example of underestimating our adversaries and treat them with respect as we go all out. I must say, Kiba, your display of Doton was an inspiration."

"Yeah…" Kiba scratched the back of his head, and Akamaru slightly shook uncomfortably. Though they managed to get along with him as one of their peers, they never got used to his Gai-like speeches. "It's not my specialty, but _Tsuchi Bushin_ are real easy to use." He hated to admit it was pretty much all he could do after a week of training from Kakashi and years from Kurenai.

"Tsk…" Their eyes widened in surprise, and they whipped their heads around so fast they thought their necks would snap. Masato barely managed to push himself into a seated position after clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "To think such ants could do this much to me…"

He gasped in pain. His injured shoulder was definitely dislocated. He had bruised, cracked, and broken ribs and a punctured lung. His jaw was definitely broken. The combination of attacks from the taijutsu expert and the Inuzuka and his dog had broken his body. "I'm in no shape to fight on, but I'll certainly take you with me." He smirked, knowing they couldn't escape.

Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee could only watch as Masato gathered his chakra into his center. The light in the area dimmed further than before, becoming too dark for any of them to see anything. They did hear the mad laughter from the dying elder shinobi. "You will know pain, ants. _Ninpo: Gisei no Fuki Hikari_!"

With his final breath, Masato generated a massive explosion of chakra and light. He mixed in his own mental powers as a member of the Kagennotsuki clan. Unbeknownst to his targets, they were awash with the deadly chakra poisoning afflicting all of his clan. As they slipped into unconsciousness barely surviving the fatal attack, they were unaware of what condition they were really in.

* * *

Shino was obviously panting as he watched more _Kazangan Bushin_ took shape. His shoulders rose and fell, but he shifted his gaze to their opponent. He was laughing at the scene, too caught up in thoughts of his own victory. Considering the circumstances, he might have had the right to. Odds were stacked in his favor, but he miscalculated a factor.

The clever bug user tapped his foot near Ino. Imperceptibly, she nodded before leaping to her feat. Her hands at the ready, she called out her attack. "_Ninpo: Shintenshin no Jutsu_!" Basuto went stiff as she slumped. Shino barely had enough time to catch her, and he laid her down gently.

As he stood, he watched their opponent for any signs of movement. He also watched the _Kazangan Bushin_ for any proof that their master had changed. He raised a brow when he saw the almost eerie expression as his ashen red eyes fell on Ino's still figure. Shino did _not_ have a good feeling. His suspicions were nearly confirmed when he had to spin kick a bandit away.

Basuto laughed as he shook his head. "Oh, I almost didn't see that coming! I may not be spry compared to you youths, but I've had plenty of experience in the ninja world." He didn't want to admit _how_ much experience, but he was proud to be the eldest of Yumiko's living children. "You're quite skilled to come up with a plan like that on the fly."

Shino kicked a bandit in the gut to send him back into another before throwing a kunai with explosive note attached. It exploded sending molten rock spraying against the wall and, fortunately, away from Ino and himself. He eyed the Kazaton user carefully. "Thank you; however, you seem to still hold the advantage." He didn't like the situation. He was forced to hold out by himself until Ino could recover.

Basuto watched from the sidelines as he thought. _"The Aburame is clever, and the Yamanaka was a good enough actor to deceive me. She's out for a few minutes at least. I should wear out the boy and his bugs, so she won't even be a challenge."_ He was only really concerned with the kikaichu, so he kept them away with heat held close to himself.

Shino evaluated the situation as he fought. The bandits weren't a big deal. Though _Kazangan Bushin_ created by the _Kazaton_ user, they maintained their skills from before being melted. He was mainly tired from how many he's had to fight. _"This situation is quite dire. I'm alone, and my kikaichu are afraid. It'll take a while longer for the most heat resistant ones to be of any use."_ It was unfortunate, but he was alone for the moment.

He ducked under a poor hook only to barely catch a knee thrust. As he pushed off, he flipped back to avoid an overextended kick. As he landed, he caught a jab and twisted the body in midair. He took advantage of the off center opponent and tossed a shuriken through his body.

From the chest cavity of the skewered bandit came an explosion of shuriken and kunai. Basuto was impressed. Shino pulled off an impressive trap. The ninja death tools were attached to wire and held the punctured bandit in place as more bandits were skewered only to have an explosion of ninja death tools burst through their chest cavities.

Soon, the room was a web of bandit bodies and wire leaving barely enough room for the combatants to stand, or lay in Ino's case, where they were before the elaborate trap. Basuto applauded. "That was most impressive, but it served no purpose." His expression turned to one of confusion as he noticed just how separate from the blond mind expert the dark-haired bug user was.

Shino raised a brow again as he listened to and watched the Kazaton user. He noticed, just barely, movement from his partner when he flipped back to avoid an attack. The time elapsed was too short, so he figured something else was going on. Still, he set up the trap just in case. Besides, it bought time for his kikaichu just in case. "Nothing in the shinobi world is done without purpose."

Basuto barely had time to contemplate the words as he caught movement out of his peripheral vision. "_Ninpo: Shintenshin no Jutsu_!" His eyes went wide as his body tensed. Ino, on her knees, slumped once more.

Basuto suddenly jumped and pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! _Shintenshin_ is a success!" As she landed, she grabbed her side in pain and nearly screamed. "This guy is _old_! That little jump sent pain jarring through his body." She was still rubbing her side when a cough caught her attention.

Shino cleared his throat, and it had the desired effect. With the mind expert looking at him, he asked the question that was on his mind. "You risked our lives by not following my plan. It was a potentially costly gamble." He did not enjoy being second guessed let alone outright ignored. He wanted her to capture their opponent on the second try.

"Oh, lighten up. It worked, right?" She didn't miss the skeptical look. He was difficult to read, but she had some practice in that department. "I'm in control of him now only because I noticed something earlier. He _was_ genuinely surprised by our ingenuity, but he managed to move just enough to evade me if I tried it right then. I couldn't have…" Basuto's eyes widened as his head lurched forward.

Shino was concerned as he watched flames cover Basuto's hands and feet. It made his old body look demonic as he screamed in pain before crossing his hands and muttering something. Shino looked to Ino as she coughed and shook her head with a moan. She screamed before grasping her hands together and rubbing them furiously like she was trying to put out a fire.

He creased his brow as he returned his attention to their opponent. He knew the Yamanaka mind techniques couldn't utilize the victim's ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu, but there should have been no way to attack his own body and throw her our. However, the evidence suggested otherwise. The 'pain transfer' caused her to feel like her own body had burned.

Basuto's extremities were burning as he turned his attention fully to Ino. "You…!" He was fuming, and the flames overtook his body. He looked terrifying as he was engulfed in flames, and his remaining bandits caught on fire and melted. The room was quickly becoming a furnace. "Little girls should stay out of places they don't belong."

Shino brow further furrowed as he watched the Kazaton user stalk forward. As he came in contact with a wire, it glowed orange with heat before falling to either side to allow him to pass. He was on a beeline towards a terrified and helpless Ino. He held out a hand to reach for her, ready to squeeze her neck to both choke and burn her.

Shino wasn't about to let that happen to an ally and peer. He held out his arms and flicked his hands. On his command, hundreds of insects exited his body and flew out his sleeves. They wouldn't get close enough to directly draw chakra off Basuto, but they were close enough to suck chakra off the flames. They were still afraid of Kazaton, but they felt the desire to protect part of the Konoha colony.

Basuto grinned widely. "Too little too late!" He reached out and grabbed…thin air. He blinked as he grasped for her neck again. Again and again, he felt no resistance as his hand simply passed through her like she wasn't there. He looked closely. She had a shadow, and the light reflected off her like it… "No way…"

Shino kept his eyes on Basuto as he spun around once the illusion of Ino disappeared. He was obviously furious as he looked at the hunched form of the real blond. "You managed a genjutsu in that condition?" She was practically gasping for air, obviously short on chakra. "I barely even noticed until I took a close enough look to notice the lighting was wrong."

Shino addressed Ino even as his eyes were locked on Basuto. "It's good to see you can at least layer your strategies, but you're worn out. Are you okay?" She nodded, not quite able to speak. He barely saw her at the edge of his vision, but he was glad she wasn't seriously hurt. He took note of where each of his insects was. He was pleased to notice some of his heat-resistant kikaichu had surrounded their target.

Basuto looked at the insects staying just outside the range of his flaming body. They were sucking chakra from him through the heat and flames. They weren't close enough to be a threat, but they were causing him to burn through his chakra just a notch above controlled. Slowly, he kneeled down and scooped his hand into the ground. "_Kazaton: Kazaken_."

Shino watched as Basuto tightly gripped something under the earth just before it became molten. As he retracted his hand, a long sword made of molten rock was extracted. Curious, he raised a brow. He could feel the sense of dread running through his colony, and he allowed the most fearful to return before they retreated.

Basuto smirked as he stalked towards them. "I wouldn't let this touch you." He swung the blade and sliced through the wire as easily as a hot knife would through butter. "It might sting a little." He swung again, and more wires fell to the wayside. "Forget sting; it might kill you."

Shino didn't doubt it. He knew he couldn't combat a weapon like the _Kazaken_. It was made of molten earth, and Kazaton ensured it remained in that state. He knew he could only combat it with an equally powerful kekkei genkai of mixed elements. Then Basuto stopped in his tracks with a confused, pained expression. "Wh-What did you do to me?" His grip loosened on the sword, and it fell apart in cool pieces.

Shino almost let out a sigh of relief. Basuto's body was no longer covered in flames, and that deadly _Kazaken_ was disrupted. Shino calmly explained. "While Ino served as a distraction, I was able to move specially bred kikaichu to intercept you. They were mainly bred to help my clan deal with Katon users, but they have exceeded expectations."

Basuto looked at shaky hands and noticed all the kikaichu. They were literally feeding on his flames before they released from his body, and they allowed other insects to land on him and feed on his chakra directly. He was already feeling too tired to produce even weak, Katon only flames. He fell to his knees, tried to reach out to necks which appeared closer than they were, and passed out before achieving his goal.

Shino recalled his insects once he was certain their opponent was sufficiently drained. As they flew back into their hive his body, he carefully looked to Ino. "Can you continue?"

She smiled and reached into her tool case. It only took a second to find what she was looking for. She pulled out a soldier pill and quickly consumed it. Feeling her strength returning, she stood and nodded. "Let's go!"

Not wanting to take any chances, Shino pulled out some sealing scrolls and attached them to Basuto. With the task complete, they hurried deeper into the cave. They had no idea what to expect, and they wanted to help their friends. They also needed to assess the situation to determine the best course of action to take.

* * *

Saiga pulled his arm back and covered his finger tips in sharpened ice. Taking aim at Tenten's head, he thrust his arm forward and let the ice fly. She sidestepped and started an intricate dance. One step, full-body twist, she sent one end of the quarter staff crashing into his jaw line. Back a step; she avoided his leg sweep counter.

He was growing more and more frustrated. He rushed her again, and she twisted elegantly to bring a diagonal crushing blow on his clavicle. His vision swam as he attempted to grip the quarterstaff. She countered by twisting the other way and powerfully sweeping his legs out from under him. As he fell to his back, he wondered if a Byakugan user was simply an easier target.

Neji was satisfied watching from the sidelines. Though it seemed hopeless for his juuken or her ranged attacks, Tenten seemed more at home closing the gap with her opponent. He noted with chagrin that Saiga was actually slower and less accurate then his own movements. He was truly proud of his teammate, and he found himself enjoying the grace with which she moved.

Saiga was frustrated as he staggered to his feet. He concentrated on each spot Tenten hit and covered them in a thin sheet of ice. He needed to keep the swelling and bruising down and heal it at the same time. He held his hands to his side, and thick layers of ice formed around them to create large claws. "_Hyouton: Hyoutsume_."

Tenten pulled the quarterstaff back and thrust it forward. He simply backhanded it with his new _Hyoutsume_. She turned with the momentum to arch it over her head and bring a powerful, downward strike to his skull. He caught it with both hands, and she was temporarily stunned by the sudden loss of momentum. He smirked as he tightened his grip and shattered the quarterstaff beyond usefulness.

Neji narrowed his eyes. He needed to recover his chakra, so he didn't activate his Byakugan. However, he could tell the _Hyoutsume_ were laced with enough chakra to withstand even a punch from Gai with a gate or two open. Though his movements were still sluggish, Neji could tell he was still more than ready to continue. However, Saiga's movements and the earlier moments of the fight where Tenten had the advantage gave him an idea.

* * *

No one of Teams Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, or Gai participated in what would have been their second chunin exam. It took place in Kumo, and they refused to go in respect for the Hyuuga among their peers. However, they didn't have the same scruples come a year after their first chunin exam when it was held in Suna.

Neji made it all the way to the finals of the third round. He was faced against, ironically enough, his cousin Hinata. It was a respectable and hard-fought battle. It was also the first time _Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou_ was publicly unveiled, and the Hyuuga watching the match were stunned.

It was an even match. Neji couldn't get close enough to close Hinata's tenketsu because of her defense and agility. She couldn't penetrate his defense because of his speed and offense. In the year since their last chunin exam, both had grown exponentially. However, Neji held the advantage of stamina. He outlasted her, and she was soon left unable to retaliate. In his opinion, it was a proud loss.

* * *

Neji was sure he could outlast Saiga, and he was even more certain Tenten could help in that endeavor. He tested molding chakra, activating his Byakugan. He was satisfied when he felt no pain. He had recovered enough to at least closely observe the skirmish. He was not left unimpressed.

Saiga was obviously worn. His chakra activity was decreasing, but the same could be said of Tenten. She summoned another weapon, but she was mainly relying on taijutsu. Her next choice was unorthodox and didn't seem to allow the same flexibility and grace as her previous weapon. Neji knew Saiga would make that foolish assumption.

It was a flail. The ball had heavy, blunt ends jutting out and a heavy chain attached it to a metal shaft. She held the ball in one hand and tightly gripped the shaft in the other. With a slight grunt, she hefted the ball straight for him. He smirked and held a clawed hand up to intercept it.

Tenten wasn't impressed in the least. She pumped chakra into the shaft. The chain wriggled, and the ball veered off trajectory. Saiga's eyes went wide as he couldn't respond in time, and the substantial object crashed into his gut. His breath whistled out as the wind was knocked out of him, and he flew backwards into a waiting wall.

He came to his feet. His ashen green eyes were tinged red with rage. The air grew considerably colder as thick layers of ice began to cover his entire body. "_Hyouton: Hyougusoku_." He walked forward with much more confidence in his step, and he didn't appear as pressed to walk due to his injuries. A thick coating of armor made of ice covered his body.

Neji noticed how Saiga's chakra spiked. The technique was extremely draining, and it was almost blinding to look at. With his Byakugan active, he could see the staggering amount of chakra being poured into the armor. _"What an interesting defense…I'm sure only Naruto could sustain it, though."_ He watched as Tenten gripped the shaft of her weapon in both hands and smirked. He'd see what the armor could take.

She heavily swung at his head. Saiga didn't even try to intercept, so she didn't alter the trajectory. It came to an immediate halt when it impacted between his head and shoulder, and her eyes went wide. He should have at least reacted with a jerk, but he looked completely unfazed. She tried to recall the ball, but he sent his _Hyoutsume_ through the nearest chains, shattering them. She almost fell back at the sudden loss of resistance.

Neji saw a whole different story. Saiga didn't ignore the attack. He sent much of the _Hyougusoku_ chakra into the impact zone. It made the area temporarily blinding to watch, but it absorbed the all momentum and stopped any chance of injury. He smirked realizing an interesting weakness in the inventive absolute defense. He wasn't quite ready to join in the fray, but Tenten wasn't finished yet.

She summoned a far more agile weapon. It was a spear with a unique design. It could be split into three with a short length of chain connecting the pieces. He knew the weapon well, and she was as skilled with it as any other of her weapons. Like the flail, she could also pump chakra through the agile spear. She charged forward with the spear in its original state.

Saiga grinned wildly as he swung his _Hyoutsume_ to intercept. She swept the spearhead under his attack and countered by sweeping his knees. She knew the weak point of any armor was the joints. She was satisfied when his knee buckled, and she was able to step back to avoid his counter.

She masterfully disconnected the joints of her spear before her next attack. He was taken aback when a sharp edge was on course for his chest while a blunt end arched up and under his shoulder. He swiped the blade away as he tried to concentrate on the weak joint. Without enough armor there, he felt the harsh impact.

He tried to step back, but she didn't let him escape. He was soon bombarded by consecutive attacks. When he dodged one to the right, another immediately followed on the left. His eyes went wide when he felt a presence behind him, and two attacks were suddenly in concert.

Neji saw his opportunity and took it. He carefully maneuvered his way behind Saiga while making sure Tenten saw him. When she barely acknowledged him, he knew they formulated their silent plan. Being on a team for so long, they were used to each other and their signals. In position behind their opponent, he extended his vision for his most powerful attack. "_Hakke Hyakunijuuhachishou_!"

Caught in the middle of a pincer attack, he lost any ability to dodge or block. His body was jarred back and forth between Neji's powerful juuken technique and Tenten's weapon assault. He didn't even have time to transfer chakra to the right area to defend it best. He heard his _Hyougusoku_ cracking, not a good sign. Desperate and low on chakra, he gathered what he could to his center.

Neji noticed, and his eyes widened. Not knowing what to expect, he called out to Tenten. "Get back!" They jumped back at the same instant, and Saiga's _Hyougusoku_ exploded outwards. As he fell to his knees, ice shrapnel intercepted and pierced the retreating Konoha shinobi. They, like their opponent, fell to their knees.

Neji, Tenten, and Saiga were panting, out of stamina and chakra. Saiga's vision was swimming. _"How did they do that?! They shouldn't have been able to penetrate my ultimate defense! They shouldn't have even driven me to it!"_ He looked haggard as ice flaked from him and water dripped.

* * *

... Wow, Kakashi, just...wow! The _Raikage Bushin_ was awesome, and he really showed his strategic mind off. Let's just hope he doesn't die.

I hope the fight scenes were a better read this time around.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,030  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Juujin Bushin_ - _Beast-Man Clone_: An Inuzuka clan technique, Kiba and Akamaru take on more beastly and human apperances, respectively.

_G__atsuuga_ - _Dual Piercing Fang_: An Inuzuka clan technique, Kiba and Akamaru attack in a swiftly moving vortex of claws and fangs.

Konoha no Kiiroi Senkou - Yellow Flash of Konoha: Namikaze Minato was known also known as Konoha no Kiiroi Senkou and the Fourth Hokage.

_Inuzuka Ryuu Chinjuu Konbi Henge: Soutou Rou _-_ Inuzuka Style Rare Beast Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf_: An Inuzuka clan technique, Kiba and Akamaru 'merge' into a single, giant beast wolf with two heads.

_Garouga_ - _Double Wolf Fang_: An Inuzuka clan technique, Kiba and Akamaru attack in a deadly vortex of claws and fangs after performing _Soutou Rou_.

_Ninpo: Hikari Renda_ - _Ninja Art: Light Barrage_: A technique exclusive to the Kagennotsuki clan, the user gathers all the light in the area into a solid attack capable of crumbling rock and breaking bones.

_Tsuuga_ - _Piercing Fang_: An Inuzuka clan technique, Kiba or Akamaru attack in a swift vortex of claws and fangs.

_Ninpo: Gisei no Fuki __Hikari -_ _Ninja Art: Sacrifice of Light to Rise no More_: A technique exclusive to the Kagennotsuki clan, the user gathers all light in the area and his/her mental energy for a final attack. It creates an explosion of chakra, and deadly chakra poisoning is passed to the victims if they survive.

_Kazaton: Kazaken_ - _Lava Release: Lava Sword_: A Yamamichi clan technique, the user merges earth and fire to create a molten sword.

_Hyouton: Hyoutsume_ - _Ice Release: Ice Claws_: Unable to form more advanced techniques like _Makyou Hyoushou_, Saiga instead concentrated on creating weapons. _Hyoutsume_ are his most powerful.

_Hyouton: Makyou Hyoushou_ - _Ice Release: Demon Ice Mirrors_: Haku used this technique in waves against Naruto and Sasuke.

_Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou_ - _Guardian Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand_: A technique invented by Hyuuga Hinata, _Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyounshou_ is a powerful defense utilizing fine agility and even finer chakra control.

_Hyouton: Hyougusoku_ - _Ice Release: Ice Armor_: Used in desperation, Saiga covers himself in hightly resiliant armor which eats through chakra.


	10. Chapter 9: Yumiko's Nightmare

TimeShifter: Oh, I have plans and back story for everything. Speaking of, watch how many times characters say something to come bite them later.

samueltm2: Thanks, I'm certainly trying.

* * *

**Chapter 9:  
Yumiko's Nightmare  
**

Neji deactivated his Byakugan. He didn't have the chakra to sustain it, but he found no reason to keep it active. _"Though Tenten and I won't be rejoining the battle anytime soon, our opponent has internal injuries. I doubt he can even stand without feeling intense pain."_ He let out a satisfied sigh. As in his battle with Hinata in the exam where they both became chunin, he had to simply outlast his opponent.

He turned his attention to his teammate. She was grinning ear to ear, proud of their achievement. In spite of himself, a slight grin found its way to his lips. As much as he wanted to help Naruto pound some sense into whoever was in charge, he felt a certain satisfaction in at least eliminating one of their opponents from the fight. Sure, he wasn't dead, but he did require medical attention.

After a moment, he eyed the portal Saiga drove them threw. As if reading his mind, Tenten answered the unasked question. "I'm sure they're fine, Neji." He looked at her, hardly surprised. On the contrary, he knew how well she could read him. "Chouji's strong, and Suichi-san's a fine samurai."

He nodded. "I have no doubt." He sighed. "However, their opponent is a Hyuuga…" He was interrupted by their opponent's laughter. "What do you find so funny?" His eyes narrowed when he caught the appearance of Saiga's eyes for the first time.

The ashen green eyes held a glint of mirth. Though he could no longer fight back, he knew the Hyuuga his target was referring to. "Okaa-sama won't lose to some fat kid and a samurai!" Further words disappeared into a fit of laughter before his eyes rolled back, and darkness overcame his vision.

Tenten shook her head. "He's hysterical. The damage to his body and blood loss must have gotten to his head 'cause he's rambling nonsense." She shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, how can he call a Hyuuga 'okaa-sama' if he has that Hyouton kekkie genkai?"

Neji rubbed the bridge of his nose to fight the chakra headache. "I don't know how, but his eyes seem to have been affected by the Byakugan. I think it may be only physical appearance, but his irises were enlarged…and pupils nearly invisible."

Her eyes went wide. "You think?" He nodded in response, and she brought her hand to her chin in thought. "Well I suppose, but why didn't he use his Byakugan?" She knew how big of a help it would have been in a fight. Though they knew of the weakness, they didn't necessarily know how or where it would manifest in Saiga.

He shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know, and I don't really have any theories. We'll just have to make sure Saiga is 'escorted' back to the village when we return to properly investigate." He smirked. "I have a feeling Shikamaru may be feeling things become more 'troublesome' very soon."

She had a good laugh to his joke while Shikamaru suddenly sneezed back in Konoha.

* * *

Chouji had come a long way in the years. His friends helped him build his confidence, and his family taught him how strong he could be. He still knew fighting a Hyuuga was a difficult task. Their juuken could render chakra unstable, and the Byakugan saw things with frightening clarity. So why was the match so even?

Suichi was a well trained samurai. He had learned to harness his emotions in order to fight to the best of his capabilities. Even if he would feel anger later that he recognized her voice as belonging to the one who killed his brother Daikichi, he still logically understood what kind of opponent they were up against. So why was he still a threat to her?

Yumiko had over a hundred years of experience as a warrior. She was confident in her abilities and her intelligence. However, she lacked the creativity and mental flexibility required to invent her own techniques, like Hinata, or duplicate techniques she knew yet never would be taught, like Neji. If she had known those facts, they would have been unimportant. She was sure she could easily win. So why wasn't the fight already decided?

To an outside observer, the fight was might appear rather tame to be between two ninja and a samurai. Yumiko was in a standard juuken stance, carefully watching her opponents. Suichi stood defensively beside his ally, wondering if he might come up with a plan. Chouji resisted pulling out the green soldier pill for a quick advantage. He knew the situation wasn't desperate, but he wanted to hurry up.

She threw herself confidently into another string of attacks. She used her agility to try weaving around the samurai's defense. When his face wrinkled at the sound his swords were making, an expanded limb sped towards her. She was forced to jump back only for another expanded fist to intercept her path.

Knowing she'd be in trouble if she simply dodged, she twisted. His fist barely grazed her, but she was able to grab his wrist guard. She smirked in anticipation as he retracted his fist. She used her juuken to aim at several of his tenketsu before the samurai interrupted.

As Chouji rubbed his sore arm, Yumiko turned her full attention to Suichi. With venom in her words, she tried her hand at psyching him. She needed them to lose confidence. "My danna-ichiban…" There was obvious distaste at the mention of her first husband. "…was a skilled swordsman. Even if I hated his guts, I can respect what he taught me about swords."

Suichi narrowed his eyes dangerously. "It is improper to disrespect your danna-san." He kept his attention on her even as she chortled. He felt no need to lower his guard against such an opponent. He carefully addressed his ally. "How's your arm?" He knew juuken by reputation only, but he knew ninja required chakra to fight effectively. As a samurai, he was never taught to mold chakra; though, he knew his clan at one time was respected for a kekkei genkai.

Chouji rubbed his arm a couple more times. "I'm fine." He swept his arms out to a ready stance. "She managed to numb my arm for a second, but she totally missed shutting down my tenketsu." He smirked. Her aim wasn't even half as good as Neji or Hinata's. It made things easier, but he still couldn't be haphazard. A passing juuken strike could still numb or paralyze. A good hit could do much worse.

He looked around the room. If it were larger, he could easily expand his entire body or use other techniques. As it was, he had to stick to taijutsu in combination with expanded limbs. It was not a situation he wanted to be in. He could rely on his ally for defense and distraction, but their opponent had an advantage he didn't know how to overcome.

Yumiko charged in again. With the Byakugan, it was impossible to get dizzy. She wanted to observe them for a moment, so she watched them. It gave her a psychological edge. Her first target didn't move in time, and she easily pumped chakra through her juuken strikes into his shoulders. The samurai managed to hold onto his daishou as his arms fell limp against his body.

Suichi gritted his teeth as he held in a scream. His shoulder muscles were torn by a direct attack, and his usefulness came to an abrupt end. He jumped back and leaned against a wall, doing his best not to disgracefully drop his treasured weapons. He bowed his head as he spoke his apologies. "I'm sorry Chouji, but it seems I have become a burden."

Yumiko didn't skip a beat and moved onto her next target. As he dodged and parried, he responded to his ally. "Don't worry about it." He didn't want to admit it, but he was surprised they'd lasted as long as they had. He saw her come in to pump excess chakra into his lung, so he threw a punch with an expanded hand.

She was forced to jump back, but she was more confident in a one-on-one fight. Knowing the dangers of edged weapons, she wanted the samurai out of the way first and foremost. To her, the Akimichi was far less a hazard. She pressed her attack. She knew she had better speed and agility. His raw power didn't have the finesse to keep up with her for long, so she only awaited an opportunity.

She ducked under a heavy jab, and he retracted before an upward thrust took out his elbow. She tried to close some distance, but he pounded his fists to close off the path. She jumped back, and he pounded the ground again to throw up some dust. For a moment, he had forgotten what he was up against, and she capitalized on that mistake.

As he charged forward, she stumbled backwards in feigned befuddlement. As he emerged from the dust cloud, she gawked at him. As realization entered his eyes, it was too late. An uppercut met his jaw before she twisted and sent an elbow into his gut. As he was recovering his composure, she entered a flurry of juuken strikes. Her tenketsu aim was nearly nonexistent, but the law of averages was in her favor. As she threw more and more strikes, she hit more and more tenketsu and started to whittle down his chakra supply.

Yumiko stood over Chouji with breathing slightly heavy from exertion. She smirked as she looked down her nose on him. His body was bruised and battered, and his chakra system was a mess to say the least. It wasn't the most artful of victories, but _she_ was the one walking away.

She turned her attention to the samurai who was barely standing. Her expression was murderous as she stalked closer to him. "Kumorigachi Suichi of Housekiyama, you value tradition more than family. It's no wonder Daikichi-danna came to me."

Though weakened, he was still proud. "You _killed _my otouto! How dare you speak of him, especially in such a manner! He was happy with his tsuma and sochi." He gave her an icy glower as she invaded his personal space.

She wrestled his wakizashi from his forced grip. "You knew nothing of Daikichi-danna. He wasn't happy with that _forced _marriage." Her hatred for arranged marriages was obvious as she plunged the wakizashi into his bicep before he could retort. The edge barely missed his bone, but it scraped along making the pain that much more unbearable. She sounded unnervingly calm as she leaned in close and almost whispered into his ear. "I understand him, and he _loves_ me."

He managed not to scream, but his face contorted in agony. As she continued talking about his brother, he grew more enraged. "Are you saying my otouto cheated on his tsuma?!" He didn't know how, but he was going to make sure she didn't get away with insulting his brother's honor.

She chortled and shook her head in disbelief. "'cheated'? How can you say he _'cheated'_ when he never even loved that woman in the first place?" She noticed his expression and how anger clearly overcame his pain. With a widening smirk, she wrestled his katana from his grip and plunged it into his side, purposely avoiding his organs while delivering maximum pain.

Yumiko was impressed when Suichi still didn't cry out his obvious pain. It had to be excruciating. She leaned back to admire her work and continue gloating. "I also 'disrespect' my danna-ichiban because I didn't love him. I was forced to marry him, and I was forced to bear his children." She emphasized 'his' in such a way as to imply she took no responsibility for them, as if he owned them.

To him, the insult was obvious. It could be said that he valued tradition, but he valued family more. He was certain his brother loved his would-be bride. Though arranged, they spent a lot of time together before the marriage. They even had a child, a son! To think he took no responsibility for his own offspring…it was something he couldn't forgive even his own brother for. "You dare insult the dead?"

She was no longer amused by his ignorance, and her dry tone reflected her tedium. "The man I killed wasn't Daikichi-danna." She shook her head to the pitiful sight before her. The samurai still wore a look of defiance, and he obviously didn't believe her statement. "You're in such a pitiful state. I can finish you anytime I want." She paused as if in thought. "In fact, I'll let Daikichi-danna send you off with his love."

She chortled so loudly that he couldn't respond. He angrily watched as she casually strolled in the same direction Kanaeru and Gayt were headed in, completely ignoring the helpless shinobi lying not too far away. Oddly, he felt he could only hope they had rescued their friends. If he remembered correctly, they were two shinobi going by Naruto and Hinata. He turned his attention to Chouji. Though he was pinned to the wall, he couldn't help but worry about his ally. "Chouji, are you all right?"

He stirred where he lay. "Yeah…somehow…" He tried to sit up but only managed to roll his head. "I don't think I can move, though." He quickly analyzed his condition. Based on what he could feel, he probably had torn muscles and ligaments, fractured bones, and a few internal injuries. His chakra was also shot.

"You heard what she said?" He nodded in response to the samurai. "Do you think you can recover by the time she gets back?" He noticed the look on the teenager's face. "As much as I hope our friends can handle Yumiko and whoever may be left, we must assume the worst to prepare ourselves." As much as either hated to admit it, they had an agreement.

It was a few minutes later when Shino and Ino rushed into the large room, and Chouji had passed out from the pain. They immediately took note of their surroundings when they noticed the living room area looked like the sight of some battle. There were craters dug out of the floor and walls. In one crater, they noticed their pleasantly plump friend. Pinned to the wall by his daishou, they noticed Suichi. Ino rushed towards them while Shino took a slightly slower pace.

When Ino reached Suichi, he indicated Chouji. "I think he needs more help than me. Just get me down. I think I can tend to my own wounds for the time being." She nodded and cooperated. As soon as she sat him against the wall, she rushed for her childhood friend. The samurai watched as he rubbed his numb wrists which finally had feeling returning to them.

Her hand became aglow in green chakra as she analyzed her chubby friend. She blinked back tears at his condition. They had a mission to accomplish, and his injuries weren't life threatening. She wasn't skilled enough to do more than ease the pain and make sure he could walk home, but she was going to make sure she did what she could.

"Chouji will be fine." They were simple words, but Ino appreciated what Shino was trying to do. She smiled to hide her pained emotions. She smiled to concentrate on her friend. She nodded as she put her medical training to work. Noting her condition, he turned to Suichi. "It would seem the mission you sponsored was more than you bargained for."

Suichi let out something between a chuckle and a groan. He wasn't lost to the irony. He thought he could handle the bandit situation himself and only called on Konoha to investigate…and to cover in case his emotions over his brother's death interfered with serving his daimyo. If he'd known, he might have hired a jonin or two. "I'm sorry your friends had to get mixed up with this. My arrogance blinded me to the true dangers."

Shino raised a brow ever so slightly. "I was not insinuating fault on your part." He left their companion to mull over his words as he turned his attention to his colony. A few sentinels had returned with word, and he was not enjoying the news. Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee were hurt. Neji and Tenten weren't much better off, and a hostile was heading towards another to fight their two remaining allies.

* * *

Gayt launched himself at his opponent. Daikichi was taken aback by the odd approach. The heavy sword was still leaned against his shoulder. The samurai wasn't surprised long as he was soon shoulder tackled, and he hit the wall behind him hard enough to expel air through gritted teeth. He barely reacted in time to roll away from a hammer punch.

Daikichi eyed his armored opponent as his gauntleted fist sliced through the granite wall. His eyes then narrowed as he noticed the sword was still leaning against his shoulder. Deciding it wasn't a coincidence, he notched an arrow and let it fly. His face contorted into surprise as the sword cleanly sliced the arrow in half.

Gayt didn't say a word as he put his massive blade on his shoulder again. He almost lazily walked towards his adversary. He tapped his sword once; his opponent flinched. He tapped it again, and the samurai notched two arrows. The kousotsu gripped his sword in two hands and held it perpendicular to his body as he broke into a run.

The arrows were aimed well, but the first bounced worthlessly off a plate of armor. The second, however, managed to embed itself into a joint. Daikichi didn't have time to celebrate as he was quickly forced to dodge. He was thrown off balance and mercilessly spun as the massive blade sliced into his side. He held the wound for a moment to analyze his condition.

Gayt stood with his back to his opponent for a moment, allowing him to recover. When the smell of blood wafted his way, he slowly turned to face the bowman as he rested his sword in place once more. "It is curious how you learned to expel chakra without molding it first. Apparently, you've also severely overestimated its usefulness as a defense."

Daikichi scowled. "It's the ultimate defense for my marksmanship!" His scowl deepened when no retort was made. "I may not be able to mold Hyouton like Saiga-kun, but I've learned a lot from him. I can't mold chakra, but I can lace the air with what my body naturally produces. _Anything_ that uses chakra is susceptible to it!" He was sure of it. He was even going to use his technique to defeat his brother.

Gayt wondered if he might smirk to psych out his opponent before his next words. "As I said, I am immune to chakra. My body doesn't produce any." He lunged forward again, only this time his sword trailed him in preparation to strike.

Daikichi was caught off guard by the kousotsu's words. _"That's impossible… How can a person _not_ produce even a small amount of chakra?"_ Though lost in thought for a second, he quickly came out of them when his body instinctually reacted to the danger. He was able to sidestep the lunge and lash out with his bow.

Gayt swept his sword up to parry the bow, but Daikichi quickly brought the other end up. The swordsman recognized the quarterstaff maneuver and easily caught the bow in a gauntleted hand. His grip was firm, and his opponent couldn't easily escape. "I'd wager you've guessed the implications. Prepare yourself." He raised his sword high before quickly slicing downwards.

The bowman was forced to release his weapon and jump back. He watched as his opponent callously threw it to the side. Without it, he was going to have a much more difficult time avoiding the massive blade, and its weight made it more dangerous. _"He said something about a Fuuin 'stabilizing' him… What could that mean?"_ He felt he was missing a vital clue.

Gayt rushed forward once more to deliver a crushing, diagonal slice. He watched as his adversary twisted around the strike and attempted to send a powerful elbow strike to the joint barely exposing his neck. He released his grip on his massive sword just long enough for it to carry its momentum into a flip. When he regained his grip, he continued to carry the blade's momentum into a reverse stab aimed for Daikichi's gut.

* * *

The scenes containing Naruto, Hinata, and Tsume merged as Rikka's eyes went wide and she fell to her knees. Her jaw was slack as her mouth hung open. Tears stung her eyes. For the first time in her decades of life, she felt like crying. She felt the need for a shoulder, a warm body. The presence of her father, Masato, was dead. He gathered all his chakra into one final explosion, and his passing was clear in her mind.

The three captives watched her anxiously, not knowing how to respond. Naruto and Hinata felt some empathy for the young-looking girl. They had no idea what her true age was, but they saw a frightened, eight year old child. Tsume was far more cautious. She may have never met a Kagennotsuki, but she had heard of arguably the most powerful clan in Wind.

The scenery changed around the three captives, and their captor seemed to disappear into the new backdrop. They were surrounded by buildings in a city they barely recognized. Naruto and Hinata knew it was Konoha from little more than instinct, but Tsume felt her chakra sense tell her the flow was the same as where her body was.

Slowly, people appeared on the street. It was strange to the captives because it was as if a still image was slowly being populated by people frozen in time. The last group to appear was Yumiko and three others. She didn't look well as she had bags under her eyes, and her face was droopy from exhaustion. She held a child unfamiliar to them, a small boy with silver-white hair. A toddler girl, not much older than the held child, tugged at her dress as she nervously sucked her thumb, and her hair was raven black.

The baby boy and toddler girl appeared to be her children, and a man who appeared to be her husband stood at a merchant stand as he haggled over prices for some fruits. It was when they noticed the man haggling that they noticed the scene was playing out before them like some ancient video file. Naruto and Hinata even recognized the sword strapped to the man's back. It was the sword made famous by Hatake Sakumo.

Hinata turned to Naruto as she had noticed something. "N-Naruto-kun, this is when Konoha was new." She pointed out the symbol of the First. "These buildings can't be more than a few years old, and these symbols prove Senju Hashirama is Hokage." She had no idea why Rikka would suddenly be showing them these images.

He blinked as he bent at the waist to check out the symbol. He recognized it from lessons in the academy, but he'd forgotten the details. "Eh, it is?" He chuckled as he embarrassedly rubbed his nose. "How does that girl know about this, then?"

Tsume pointed out Yumiko. "You notice how the scene is focused on her, Naruto-sama?" She sent Hinata a glower. She had immediately recognized her competition. However, it was more important to figure a way out of the genjutsu, so it was only passing.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I saw her earlier." A bit of venom mixed with his words, but he controlled it well. Both girls noticed however. He blinked as he noticed something and, curious if anybody else had, pointed it out. "Hey, Yumiko has eyes like Hinata and Neji, but those children don't. They are hers, right?" He was honestly curious.

Hinata thought about his question for a moment. "Yes, it would seem they are…" She paused. "It's possible the Byakugan wasn't passed to them. It's rare, but there are cases where it wasn't inherited." She pointed to the sword on the man's back. "Do you recognize that, Naruto-kun?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Kakashi-sensei has a sword just like that." He paused to think for a minute. "Wait, I think he mentioned it was a memento of his dad's…" He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head to one side to think hard. For some reason, something clicked. "Wait! Do you think that's, like, an ancestor of his or something?"

She smiled and nodded in agreement. "That's what it seems to be…" She had to think on that, too. If the images before them were true, then Kakashi may be a distant relative to the Hyuuga. If they were seeing the early days of Konoha, it might have even been before Madara's betrayal.

Tsume decided to interject a question she was sure was on all their minds. "Okay, but why are we being shown these images?" She found herself mildly satisfied to hear her fellow captives' sighs as they tried to figure out that answer, too.

They didn't have to think long as Rikka appeared behind them and spoke through her mind. "Okaa-sama's nightmare…" They looked at her questioningly. "You're going to be my otou-sama, so I don't mind showing you this." She didn't add on how he might see Konoha as trash. His strong will made even her question that idea.

The scene fast forwarded over a year in the span of a few breaths. They were standing in a rundown warehouse. Yumiko and a cloaked man seemed to be bartering something. She held a newborn child, and he seemed awfully interested in the infant. He placed a book down on a nearby table. They seemed to have reached an agreement. She held the infant up to him, and he etched a seal over the infant's chest.

Rikka was still behind them and finally spoke up. "Okaa-sama was furious over her arranged marriage. They disowned her when her children did not possess the Byakugan, so she bartered her third child for a chance at revenge." She watched the infant as he started to wail without a care.

They watched as Yumiko walked out of the warehouse with the book and infant, uncontested. Hinata and Tsume narrowed their eyes as they realized the implications. Naruto spoke up. "Hey if she bartered her child, wouldn't the man want him?" He didn't like the idea, seeing it as the ultimate act of betrayal. However, 'trade' seemed to imply both parties got something out of the deal.

Rikka scoffed. It wasn't because of Naruto's question or ignorance. It was because of whoever that man was. "He used a Fuuin on the child, and he grew up to become the first War Hawk of Konoha. He may as well have founded ROOT, like Danzo did some years later, because he made okaa-sama's revenge that much more difficult. The only good thing to come of the interaction was the book of kinjutsu…and immortality."

Naruto gawked at her at the mention of the forbidden and disgusting forbidden technique. It reminded him of somebody he hated and could never forgive, Orochimaru. She wasn't done, however. "You won't make the same mistake as otou-san, right? You won't die and leave me and okaa-sama alone, right?" She was sure her brothers could manage. After all, Basuto got to say his farewells to his father, and Saiga was unlikely to have to watch his father die.

Naruto was beside himself. On one hand, he didn't want to make the seemingly young girl cry. On the other, he was finding he had no fond emotions for Yumiko. He couldn't figure out what her game plan was, and it certainly didn't help they seemed to want to torture him to get him on their side. He sighed. "Listen, I'm not gonna die before I become Hokage."

She brightened up, but he quickly shot her down. Hinata's face brightened with his every word…as did Tsume's. "I'm going to get there on my own strength, and nobody's going to stop me. I'm not doing some crazy immortality jutsu 'cause it reminds me of that creep Orochimaru. I'm also _not_ becoming somebody's father just yet! I'm not ready, and it's most certainly not going to be with somebody who reminds me of Orochimaru." He noticed her face fall and tears sting her eyes. "You seem like you're good, though a bit misguided. Why not let us out?"

His question never reached her ears as she was clutching her head and nearly screaming. She pulled herself into a near fetal position as she fought the pain wracking her body. Her captives didn't know what to do as they watched her. Each had empathy for her in the state she was in, but each also wanted out of the genjutsu.

* * *

Halfway down the hall to help her beloved Daikichi, Yumiko stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart rate increased, and she was forced to lean against the wall for support. She wiped her brow as fear then rage filled her eyes. She feared for her beloved Masato. She raged at his death. Her breathing became shallow as a transformation overtook her body.

Her skin became ghastly pale before chakra erupted from her body with enough ferocity to billow her clothes and hair. The chakra arched back to her as it caught her elemental affinity of lightning. It was like an armor of Raiton erupted around her. As her breathing and heartbeat returned to normal, her Byakugan flared.

She almost felt her heart drop when she saw Daikichi's bow easily caught by the armored behemoth. In a burst of speed propelled by her chakra and elemental affinity, she easily crossed the last remaining distance separating her from the battle between swordsman and bowman.

She froze as blood and gastrointestinal juices splattered outward from the sword thrust. Her latest husband regurgitated all over his opponents backside as he involuntarily leaned forward. The tip of a massive blade emerged like the tip of an iceberg from his back. His spine was barely missed, and the damage was immense.

As if possessed, she charged wildly into the room. Her strikes had no form or reason. She simply aimed to deal as much damage as quickly as possible. Her juuken strikes were sloppy, and they seemed to carry chakra differently. After several horribly wide swings, she managed a solid blow to Gayt's chest.

He skidded back, taking his sword with him. As his sword slid out of his adversary's body, he fell to his knees. His body was already in shock as Yumiko wrapped her arms around him. He was already going pale as he was rolled onto his back, but he was still a ways from death. Daikichi slowly raised a hand to stroke her cheek. "My beautiful, don't cry."

Gayt always held respect for his opponents, so he stood back to allow the two a temporary solace in one another. With his free hand, he examined where he was punched. _"That punch actually did some damage, but chakra enhanced punches should be meaningless."_ He paused to listen to Star. _"Yes, I am aware she can use Fuuin."_ He bowed his head as if to send a glower. _"She uses kinjutsu, too? She may be a difficult opponent."_ It was not a statement he made lightly, even privately to his longtime companion.

She managed a smile before gently taking his hand and putting it over his wound. "Hold your hand here, danna-chan." He weakly nodded but obeyed. She slowly stood, sending a glower to Gayt the entire time. She didn't feel the least bit intimidated by his calm demeanor. "You… Are you trying to take away my Daikichi?"

Gayt did not respond, and she continued her tirade. "Are you trying to do what _they_ did?!" She had extra emphasis and venom on 'they', and she continued to add it. "_They_ tried to take my first, true love from me. Oh-ho, but Basuto took care of them. Basuto took care of them, but…but…" She launched herself into a pitiful attack with an anguished cry.

Gayt simply sidestepped the first few strikes. He was surprised, however, as he could _feel_ them as they moved past him. When one of her strikes brushed his armor, he was further astonished to be driven back. He looked at her and took note even as she charged in once more.

She swung; he dodged. She swung again; he parried. She launched and uppercut; he ducked beneath it and hammered and elbow into her side. She coughed up spittle as she took several steps back, and he felt pain as electricity surged over his body. He was in shock for almost a full second before he recomposed himself and observed his latest adversary.

_"She is a shinobi, therefore uses chakra to attack. I can tell she is not trained in the use of mana nor has used it thus far. This is a most interesting conundrum."_ He looked to his sword. _"Any ideas?"_ He paused to listen, and the massive blade changed color to match chakra's representation of lightning, purple. _"Ah, she is well versed in Fuuin. I can see that matching affinities will afford us greater defense, but we must break through hers."_

"My nightmare…" He blinked as he looked to his adversary. "My nightmare…" He didn't know what she was talking about. "I will make you live my nightmare!" She spread her arms out, and chakra surged over her body. Her Raiton intensified, and arcs of electricity lashed out of her body at irregular intervals.

He didn't like the glint in her eyes as she turned to Kanaeru. Worse, he didn't know if he liked the look in his master's eyes. She seemed eager to get back into the fight in spite of the injuries to both her shoulders. The lightning which seemed to be making an armor for Yumiko brightened and gathered in the palms of hands as she pointed them to the other woman.

"_They _wanted to take everything from me, leave me with nothing. Now I'll show you my nightmare!" Lightning erupted from her hands without as much as a hand sign or call. It simply obeyed her will as it arched in preparation to strike. Yumiko grinned wildly as the mass of electricity prepared to impact Kanaeru.

The sumitsuki smirked as her chains surrounded her. Sure, her Doton was weak to Raiton, but combining her elemental affinity with her chains while still in _Sanban no Kyuubi_ bought her the time she needed to get out of the way. She was surrounded by a dome of chains and hardened rock.

Yumiko scoffed when she saw the earth spring up to defend her target. Her lighting ball easily punched through it. She was left speechless when she saw nobody was on the receiving end of her attack. She turned to Gayt when she heard a shuffling sound. She was just in time to see her target fall to her knees, and the chains were receding to a more normal shape around her right arm.

She was surprised and in no way pleased. They _had_ to experience her nightmare! She was forced to marry her first husband. Her second may have been saved by Basuto, but he died in the failed invasion of Konoha alongside sound shinobi. She felt her third pass away in a desperate battle, and her fourth was knocking at death's door as he lay on the floor. They _were_ going to experience her nightmare!

* * *

Tsunade was pleased with Inoichi's progress. He'd already been at it for several minutes, and he hadn't met with the same sudden end as the last time. He was still meeting resistance, and he was having some difficulties. However, he was holding on. It also helped that mental distractions were cleared from the room. As much as they wanted to help, Kankuro and his genin were more a bane than a boon.

Sasame was keeping a steady eye on Tsume. They needed any early warning they could get. She was sweating more heavily than she should have been, but it was likely a sign of some mental exertion. She was in no pain, obvious or otherwise. It seemed as if the person behind the strange genjutsu only wanted Inoichi out. Did that mean Tsume was a nonissue for them?

Tsunade still hated not knowing what was going on. She was used to having shinobi in the field without any form of contact, but she had the perfect messenger lying on her couch but out of commission. She wanted answers, and she wanted them quickly. She was surprised when his facial expression changed and instinctively called out. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

He smirked. "Nah, I'm fine. I met some stronger resistance, and I think the person on the other end is in some pain." He didn't say so, but he thought he heard a girl scream out in abject pain. Having a daughter, it made him sick to the stomach to listen to it. He knew it wasn't the worst he'd experienced diving into a person's mind, but it most certainly wasn't or would ever be pleasant.

It was several long seconds later before anybody said anything else, and it was Inoichi. "Ah, there we go." Tsunade and Sasame remained silent in suspense. With a final surge of chakra, he broke the mental chains of the genjutsu only he could see. The smirk on his face broadened as he confidently announced his victory. "It was a hard fought battle, but, in the end, nobody can beat a Yamanaka at mind games."

Tsunade rolled her eyes and was about to say something when Tsume shot into a seated position. She touched her face in surprise as she looked around the room. She actually fought back a smile when she realized she could see the world as she was used to. Oh, it was nice to see Naruto's face, but it was much better to see the world as only a Tomoyuki could.

As she was reacquainting herself with the world, Tsunade decided she needed answers. "I know it may be rough, but I need answers." The girl's attention was quickly riveted to the powerful leader's serious voice. "You've been under an enemy genjutsu for some time now, and I'm certain I need to know what's going on. Is my team safe, and do I need to send out a recovery and backup team?"

Tsume nodded her head. "I don't know who, but there are injuries. I sensed a person and animal in serious condition. I don't know how bad, but they definitely need help. Naruto-san's fine, and I saw Hinata." She paused for a moment to think. "I think somebody's chakra disappeared, but it was unfamiliar… The person could be dead, out of range, or very good at hiding."

Tsunade sighed. She didn't like the implications. She snapped her fingers, and two ANBU appeared flanking her. "Tell Shizune that she's cleared to go. Their destination is…" She paused as she looked to Tsume. The young girl responded by pointing in the direction she could feel Naruto. She almost sighed when she recognized the direction. She didn't like how right her suspicions were based on Shikamaru's advice and earlier comments by the young sand nin. "…Housekiyama."

The ANBU disappeared without a second's hesitation. Tsunade knew she could trust Shizune and Sakura to get the job done. Now she just had to deal with the home base for them to return to. "Sasame, I need you to prepare emergency rooms at the hospital. Inoichi, get Ibiki and Anko here immediately. I also want you to find Shikaku and Chouja and head to the gate."

They nodded their affirmatives and quickly left. With only Tsume left in her office, she turned to the young kunoichi. "You're friends were worried about you. I want you to reassure them you're fine, but I also need you to relay information to me." She sighed. "Your teammates even tried to threaten me, little punks." The young girl giggled, and the blond sannin smiled. "Go on; tell Kankuro and your friends you're fine. Naruto'll be fine until you get back.

Tsume hesitated for a moment, but Tsunade used her trademark glare to make her cry out in fright before leaving. Of course, it was a mildly frightened sound as glare was mostly used to intimidate her into realizing it was best to follow orders. The sannin sighed and looked in the direction the team in question was. "Naruto, you better get back here soon with everybody safe in tow."

* * *

Shino looked up when another sentinel returned. He watched it intently to gather the information it had to relay, and his brow arched well above his sunglasses. Suichi noticed the bug user's expression and spoke up. "Is something wrong, Aburame-san?"

He nodded. "Your adversary is experiencing _Yakedo_." His brow furrowed at the implication. He lifted his hand to tell the sentinel to return to reconnaissance duty, and it reluctantly obeyed. It was scared for, to him, obvious reasons.

Suichi was curious and awaited further explanation. When none came, he prepared to speak up but was interrupted. Not even looking up from operating on Chouji, Ino had something to say. "Oh Shino, what's _Yakedo_. I don't believe I've heard of that jutsu before."

His first response was to nod. It was understandable that they hadn't heard of it. "My apologies." He paused to collect his thoughts. "It is not a jutsu you would have heard about. We're not even sure if _Yakedo_ is it's its proper name. My team and I have only experienced it twice, and we call it that because it burns through chakra at an alarming rate as it combines and recombines with the user's elemental affinity. We've also only ever seen Hinata use it when somebody actually managed to incite her ire."

"Eh?" Ino was confused. "Is it part of her kekkei genkai or something? I didn't think the Byakugan could do anything like that." She could almost feel Shino's frustration. She'd also never heard him talk so much, but she figured he probably spoke a lot more around his teammates anyway.

"It is unknown. As I said, we have only ever seen Hinata use _Yakedo_." He paused as he thought back to both occasions. "If it is part of her kekkei genkai, it may be either very rare or unwanted. It took everything we had to contain her until her chakra was depleted."

Chouji chose that moment to show he was still alive. "Well, what are you waiting for? If this _Yakedo_'s as bad as you say it is, maybe you should go help Kanaeru and Gayt. Suichi-san and I are fine for now." He noticed the look in his childhood friend's eyes. "It's okay, Ino. I've walked away from worse than this, and her aim isn't nearly as precise as any Hyuuga we know." He chuckled a moment before he realized the pain it caused him.

"Chouji!" Ino leaned over him as she used her medical training to analyze him again. She sighed in relief as she realized he hadn't agitated anything. She almost smiled when she realized his condition had improved from when they first found him. "You need help, and I can't just…"

He silenced her with his intense gaze. "Ino, your help is much more necessary elsewhere. Please, help our friends. We don't know if Naruto and Hinata will be able to free themselves, so maybe your help will make the difference. I'll be here when you get back, promise."

With tears stinging her eyes, she stood and turned her back on him. "I heard you! You promised me!" She practically stormed up to Shino and pushed him to make him start moving. "You heard 'em! We need to go rescue our friends!"

She heard her childhood friend painfully chuckle in the background before they disappeared through the portal they felt chakra spike from. "Go show 'em why you don't mess with Konoha!"

* * *

To Gayt, Yumiko was in a blind rage. For no rhyme or reason, she focused her efforts on harming Kanaeru. He was able to stay a step ahead of her, but her Byakugan made things difficult. He also didn't like the fact that she was covered in Raiton. It was a bad match for his master's Doton. Though he was on the defensive, it was clear to him she was frustrated.

Yumiko didn't understand it. She couldn't see Gayt's chakra pathways. She could read his movements because she could see the complex Fuuin etched into his armor. She also saw the odd colors emanating from his massive sword. In her enraged state, she was more interested in harming Kanaeru to make him feel her nightmare. She also wanted to make his sword sing out in pain for what it did to Daikichi, but she couldn't get a bearing on its stress points.

Gayt and Yumiko were engaged in a complicated dance. She fought to get around him and to Kanaeru. He used his sword to parry her blows and strike when he could. Neither was able to strike the other, and their lightning bursts canceled each other out. It appeared to be an even as mana matched off against chakra. While Gayt's lack of chakra gave him a certain edge, Yumiko was able to make up with that with knowledge of Fuuin and kinjutsu.

Yumiko jumped back to give herself some room, and Gayt observed her for a moment. She drew a symbol in the air which he quickly recognized. He quickly eyed his massive blade. _"I hope you're ready for this, Star."_ He hefted his blade, so he could point his forefinger, middle finger, and thumb at the enraged Hyuuga. He imagined Star lining up with the plane of his arm. "Hibana Yari."

A massive dragon made of electricity sprang to life from the symbol Yumiko drew. It charged towards Gayt and opened its giant maw in an obvious attempt to swallow him whole. From his fingertips, a spear of electricity struck out to intercept the massive attack. His primary goal was to lessen its strength, so it was incapable of harming Kanaeru.

* * *

She awoke to the sound of battle. In her groggy state, she wasn't sure where she was. She was familiar with the sounds of Raiton. Nobody could mistake the claps of thunder in such a setting as anything else. The smell of air strongly heated by Raiton charged chakra was unmistakable, and it seemed to collapse on the suddenly cooling vacuum differently.

She had to ask herself a very, simple question. _Why_ was she awakening to the sound of battle? She felt so rested that she could have _sworn_ she had awakened in her nice, comfortable bed. Oddly, the thought made her feel nostalgic. A thought occurred to her. She hadn't been away from home for that long.

Her eyes widened in realization. She had been _kidnapped_ by Hyuuga hiding in some cavernous mountainside. They had even gone so far as to pose as shinobi from distant Kumo. She looked around, wondering if Naruto might be nearby. She blushed furiously at the thought of sharing a room with her childhood crush. She was disappointed and relieved to find him nowhere in the dimly lit room.

Hinata climbed out of the bed she'd been in and stretched her protesting muscles. She didn't know how long she had been out, but she felt she needed to find Naruto. If he was there, she was certain Konoha had found out and sent a rescue team. If he was part of that rescue team, she was afraid they might all have been captured just like her crush.

She was awfully worried about the sounds of battle coming from down the hall…

* * *

I wasn't even sure this update would make it. There are two reasons. One, I'm in a fun and difficult class involving rendering, and the rendering software is making life difficult for me. Still, I'm trying. Two, my Internet was on the blink last night. I thought I was going to be done before 2:00 am MST, but then my DSL went all weird on me. I spent an hour and a half getting it from not working to mostly not working. Needless to say, my ISP got a not-so-happy call from me. Next time I know I won't have time, I'll at least write an omake or something and postpone the update by a week.

As a warning, there will be NO update, omake or otherwise, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I might release a project I've been working on the past few months, but I'm going to be too busy to have a full chapter completed in two weeks.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,020  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

tsuma - wife

sochi - son

_Yakedo_ - _Burn_: In rare cases, a Hyuuga may experience _Yakedo_ where their fine chakra control combines with his or her primary elemental affinity to create an intense offensive defense. More to be revealed later.


	11. Chapter 10: Lines Drawn in the Sand

TimeShifter: Actually, Tsume only calls Naruto by -sama to his face, otherwise it's -san. It's really a clan thing that should be cleared up soon. As for the Yumiko things, her first husband was no Hyuuga, and her third child was the one who became the first war hawk. The rest of the questions should be answered in story, but remind me if any of them aren't. I did already state the origins of Basuto's father. Reread the early part of his fight with Shino and Ino. Also, thanks for the well wishes for classes. They're going well, but they're a bear to get through. I need more luck to get through my retail job this time of year.

samueltm2: Rikka's interesting, neh? Anyway, I'm glad my fighting scenes were well received.

* * *

**Chapter 10:  
Lines Drawn in the Sand  
**

Inoichi quickly fulfilled Tsunade's orders. Ibiki and Anko were in her office, and he was on his way to meet his teammates at the gate as ordered. He didn't have to be a genius to figure out their mission. If they needed to move out, Tsunade would order them to, but they were primarily to wait at the gate for the group sent to rescue Hinata to return. The reasoning was simple. They were to ensure the security of any prisoners or relieve any pursuers.

He wasn't in a big hurry. He knew his teammate Shikaku well enough to know he'd be late, so his pace was more a stroll. However, he was slightly concerned with who was following him. He looked over his shoulder to spy Sasame. She innocently looked at him and smiled. He let out an exasperated sigh before questioning her. "Why are you following me? Hokage-sama ordered you to the hospital."

She waved the statement off. "Don't worry. It won't take long to set up a triage." She noticed his questioning look. "What? I want to see the rescue and recovery team off." She paused as an almost defeated look creased her features and she looked down as if to watch her feet. "Besides, I want to tell Sakura something before she goes."

Inoichi sighed. He figured there was nothing wrong in letting Sasame do what she wanted. At full speed, it would still be hours before they heard anything from Housekiyama. With renewed vigor partly to help the young kunoichi and partially to ensure help for his daughter, he quickened his pace. He smirked when she did the same in order to keep up.

The scene they met at the gate was that of ordered chaos. Shizune and Sakura were ordering medics around in last minute preparations. Inoichi knew that not all the medics present were heading out, but he was still surprised to see over a dozen. He recognized several from his daughter's medical classes. While Sasame approached Sakura, he decided to talk to Tsunade's assistant.

Shizune noticed him approaching, but she had more important things to do than chitchat. She was sure he was concerned over Ino and the rest. Considering what she heard from the ANBU about Tsunade's orders, she was certain the two teams would come together to take out the common threat. She continued barking out orders even as he watched her from the guard post.

He leaned against the guard position with a smirk on his face. All the medics were busy and full of concern. It was obvious they had the 'will of fire' the Third always talked about. They wanted to get out there and help their comrades. He was surprised to hear several times concern for Naruto's safety. Happily, he contemplated. _"Has the village changed that much?"_

"Hey, Sakura!" Inoichi and Sakura looked up as Sasame greeted her. For a moment, Sakura regarded her and was about to answer before a medic came up to her and started asking about appropriate supplies. Sasame simply continued. "Just listen for a minute." She paused and waited for the short conversation between Sakura and medic to be over. She took a deep breath. "Make sure you get Naruto-kun back here safe and sound."

Sakura was about to berate a nearby medic for dropping a supply box, but was momentarily stunned by the statement. "You do realize who you're talking about, right?" She scoffed slightly. "That idiot can take care of himself." She sometimes wondered why insults slipped out so easily, but it felt more like a game between her and her dear friend than what it was in the past.

Sasame smiled. She couldn't help but note the affectionate inflection the pink-haired kunoichi took. "I might be more worried about Hinata or some of the others, but Naruto's not one to let them get hurt." Her grin widened. "In fact, I'd say he'd do anything to make sure they didn't." Her expression darkened when a frown tried to force its way onto her face, but she kept smiling. "He goes out of his way to protect his friends, and I just want to make sure you'll bring him back perfectly fine."

Inoichi smirked. The girls didn't realize it, but various medics were gawking at them. He eyed the crowd to find which side of the line they were on. He had noted a change in the village since Naruto became a shinobi of the leaf. For the most part, they were concerned for his safety. A few in the group grumbled about what made 'the demon such hot stuff' for the kunoichi, but they kept their opinions pretty much to themselves.

He looked over to Shizune to see her about to order the medics to stop dillydallying and get back to work, but he had other plans. "Shizune, you bring our boys home safe and sound." He stretched his arm out to give her a thumbs up. "They've been fighting hard, so you can sure as bet they need some support." He paused as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked solemnly to the sky. He barely whispered. "The 'will of fire', eh Sensei?"

She gave him a quizzical look. She didn't hear the last part, and his statement seemed to come out of nowhere. Still, she nodded her head with a smile. She may as well give him an answer that…_should_ satisfy him. "You bet. We'll get them back home." She blinked noticing a medic slacking and marched over to him to give a piece of her mind.

Inoichi just watched and smirked. As he turned his attention back to Sakura and Sasame, something interesting caught his ears. "Say Sakura, how do you think Naruto sees Hinata?" He almost shook his head at the Fuuma kunoichi. She stammered as she continued. "I-I mean; he stormed after her without even a second thought."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I'm hearing this!" She pulled the fellow medic in close, so nobody could hear them. Inoichi frowned as his entertainment was taken away. "You came here so confident and full of pomp, certain you could win his heart. I mean; we're talking about the guy who didn't recognize Hinata's affections for…" She quickly calculated. "…at least seven or eight years. He's also the guy who storms off if one of his precious people is in danger, and she's the 'cool, dark' girl on his list."

Sasame perked up almost immediately and smiled. "He's also the guy who tried to peep on me when you were mending me…" Her thoughts trailed off as a gloved fist harshly impacted her skull. She squatted, holding her head, as she tried to rub the sore lump away. _"Ouch, Sasuke was right. This girl can punch!"_

Sakura stood over the crouching girl with a fist raised in the air and veins ready to pop. Before berating the perverse words and delusions obvious in her eyes, she noticed Shizune calling her over. With a sigh, she had one last thing to say to her cohort. "I'll bring them all back, not just Naruto. Just you watch; he'll show the world his wings." She hurried over to Tsunade's assistant to move out.

Sasame and Inoichi watched the medics go through their final preparations before Shizune's team left. The former never realized she gave the latter something to think about…and some entertainment. They continued to watch until the medic team was out of sight. Then Sasame decided it best to follow orders. She turned to leave, but was stopped by the elder shinobi's voice. "All his life, he's only wanted friends and somebody to love him. Strange how things work out."

She smiled, nodded, and giggled. "Yep!" She turned on her heals to face him, placing her hands behind her back, and leaned forward. "He saved my family three years ago, and he risked his life doing it. Oh, it wasn't love at first sight. I thought he was a pervert, and I was angry with him for a long time even as I led them to our destination. It's just…"

He interrupted her and directed her attention to the Hokage tower. "Don't you think you should be heading along now, little lady? Wouldn't want Hokage-sama mad at you." He couldn't resist laughing as she ran off towards the hospital, panic-stricken. When she was gone, he looked up to the leg casting a shadow on him. "You're late, Shika…" He looked to his right. "…Cho."

His teammates and longtime friends gave him their unique smiles. He flashed his own grin. No, they weren't worried. They had confidence in their children, and they had confidence in whom they were teamed up with. There was no question of 'if Tenten had teamed up with Neji's', They _knew_ the teams had teamed up. It was something about the generation taught by Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and even Gai. They looked to the distance and just believed.

* * *

The pale girl rubbed her forehead as her eyes flitted open. As realization sunk in, she frantically looked around. She was keenly aware she was still inside the world created by her late father's illusion, but she was confused as to why. The Yamanaka broke her hold on the captives, so they should have all escaped. She _should_ have come back to reality in that capsule filled with the unusual chakra-enhancing gel.

The scene was blank and devoid of structure. It was the blank slate she had to work with, and she was acutely of who was absent from the illusion. Neither Hinata nor Tsume were present, and she could only just sense Naruto's presence. She furrowed her brow at that. Why could she only _just _feel his presence? _"I should know where he is…"_

She looked up with wide eyes to watch an approaching figure. She was startled at first, but fear settled in and took root as she watched the overbearing entity swirl to life before her. To her, it was odd to see chakra spiral like that. Though it twisted in the seeming random way fire would, it managed the rough shape of a fox…with nine tails. She could only gawk.

Her jaw nearly fell when the rough form coalesced into a human. He was tall, towering over anybody she knew. He was lean and well toned, and he moved with a certain grace. His powerful, crimson eyes cut through her soul, and his blood red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail reaching the small of his back. To her, he was the most stunning existence she had ever seen, even if she was scared out of her mind.

Her brain barely registered his clothes as she gazed at his face. He wore traditional ninja shoes as he padded closer. His dark blue pants fit loosely, and a white tee shirt tucked into it. He wore a loose fitting, dark blue jacket over his torso which billowed in the winds her mind vaguely realized weren't there. The most unusual item was his only accessory. He wore a leather choker with the word 'seal' inscribed on the only white patch on the front.

When he was finally in front of her, he squatted in front of her and scoffed. "This is what the Kagennotsuki are reduced to? Tch, pitiful." He rose and looked around. "Idiot kit, where'd he run off to? He knows he's no good with genjutsu." He scanned the horizon, looking for something.

After a moment, Rikka finally found her voice. "Wh-What are you doing?" She flinched when his glare fell on her, but she didn't want to falter. "Who do you think you are? I control this place, everything in it." His gaze grew harsher, and her face darkened as she averted her eyes. "I-I con-control th-the ho-hori-zontals and th-the ve-ver-verticals." She almost yelped when he stood right in front of her.

He scoffed. "You have some inferiority complex wanting to control people like that? You only got this far because kit's got no ability when it comes to genjutsu." He was apparently angry because he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in a rough sigh. "Even with a Yamanaka helping him, he's still stuck in this stupid _Musouka_. He's so useless."

She eyed him. Sure, she was still scared, but she saw his point. If the genjutsu was disrupted, even a weak genin should have been able to break free. Naruto, she wagered, was at least high chunin if not low junin in skill level…even if his chakra put him well above that. "Is that why he's still a genin…?" She hesitated. "…because he can't do anything with genjutsu?"

He scoffed. "Please. If that were true, that 'fuzzy brows' character would never have graduated from the academy let along the chunin exams." He narrowed his eyes as he watched her, finally, struggle to her feet. "Tch, it's hard to believe you're about as old as Hokage-baa. What's with kit attracting all this weird attention?"

Her face flushed, and she spoke in a low, indignant voice. "How rude?!" She scowled at him. "Have you no manners?" Even if she had the body of an eight year old, she was still sensitive about her age. She flinched when he lowered his face, so his nose was almost touching hers.

His face creased into an overconfident smirk. "Oh, I have manners. I just _choose_ not to use them around foul trash." He stood erect and straightened his jacket. "I've been wondering about something for a while, _mortal_." He emphasized mortal to show disdain for their method of staying alive. "Is Yumiko the mother of Hatake Ahito, the first 'war hawk' of Konoha?"

She slowly nodded. "Yes, he was the child I was showing Naruto and the others earlier." She was curious about his interest in her mother's first, big obstacle in her revenge against that hated village. She still hated the 'stranger' for betraying her mother by creating that monster.

Kyuubi tilted his head forward in contemplation. _"I hate to say it, but that was very clever. He gave Yumiko the hope of revenge while securing a new body for himself. Unintentionally, she became an ancestor to both a great boon and the greatest bane to Konoha."_

He jerked his head up and scanned the horizon after his moment of thought. "Ah, that's where you've been hiding kit. I was wondering when you'd show up." He waited and watched as a figure appeared as a dark speck on the horizon. Rikka was also watching, so she never noticed when the great bijuu reverted to his human-sized fox form.

Naruto quickly came into view. He staggered his way forward as he held his head in one hand. He groaned when he saw the two tormentors. _"I'm having a really bad day, and this headache just won't go away. Why do I have all the luck?"_ He looked like he was ready to simply drop to the ground and pass out.

Rikka turned to Kyuubi and in hushed tones spoke to him. "It looks like that Yamanaka's trick had some effect on him." She saw the fox nod his head, and she blinked wildly realizing he'd transformed. Deciding to press another concern, she added a question. "Did you find what you were looking for earlier?" With a shake of the fox's head, the conversation was over. Rikka was content to wait for the blond to feel better.

* * *

Hesitantly, Hinata approached the door to the room she was imprisoned within. Oddly, her vision swam in strange colors. She knew her Byakugan wasn't active; one of the bracelets she wore prevented it. She touched the door, and she felt like electricity ran through her. She gasped as she recognized the feeling as _Yakedo_.

She knew she had to get out of the room. She trembled as she readied herself. She leveled her shoulder against the door and swallowed hard. As she slid her feed back in trepidation, she mentally prepared herself to slam into the door. Trailing leg against the bed, she closed her eyes and focused as much chakra as she could in preparation to strike.

She ignored the pain the other bracelet sent through her body and sprang forward. As she vaulted towards the door, visions of her crush stirred in her vision. As she opened her mouth, a scream issued forth from her lungs. It was half a groan of agony and half a yell of determination. She slammed into the door, and it echoed down the halls.

* * *

Kanaeru gawked at Gayt as she held her bleeding shoulders. True, they had begun to heal, but she reopened the wounds when she dodged the earlier ball of electricity. She was used to her kousotsu's unusual show of power, but he just powered through a _Yakedo_ and Fuuin backed _Rairyuudan_.

Gayt narrowed his eyes at his opponent. If he hadn't countered in time, Kanaeru would have taken the brunt of the attack. He was also worried now that she was using forbidden seals to wage battle. He looked to his gargantuan sword where his partner Star resided. _"Do you have any ideas to resolve this?"_ He let out an exasperated sigh at the idea. _"If I use wind to counter her Raiton, there is a chance master will get hurt."_

He didn't have a chance to debate as she changed the element of his massive blade anyway. It flicked from pale purple to pale yellow in an instant, and he released another sigh for his impetuous partner. _"As long as Kanaeru-sama does not receive further injury, I'll go along with your plan."_

Yumiko ignored the obvious danger. She knew through her superior vision that her opponent didn't use chakra. She felt confident his unusual abilities couldn't counter hers so easily. She rushed forward again, and electricity arced from her forearms. She ducked under a mighty swing and slammed her palm against his thick armor.

He barely jolted as invisible blades of wind carried her Raiton back up her arm and engulfed her body in the amplified shock. Her eyes widened as her body convulsed. He watched for a moment before resting his sword against his shoulder. In very short terms, he explained what happened. "Kaze Suki."

He paused for a moment to look over his free shoulder and resisted the urge to sigh a breath of relief. Star's plan worked, and Kanaeru was left unharmed. "It slows my body when I use it, so I normally wait until I see an attack coming. However, you would have seen it and stopped your attack. Now you are paralyzed from your own chakra and conceit."

Yumiko fell to her knees, but _Yakedo_ still showed its effects over her body. Her body still convulsed under the influence of the last defensive maneuver. She could hardly believe what she saw. There was a strange coloration at the point she impacted his armor. It wasn't anything like any chakra she'd seen before, but it was familiar. _"Didn't that toad summoner, Namikaze Hiroshi, use something like that?"_

Gayt turned to face Kanaeru. "I'm sorry I interrupted your fight, Kanaeru-sama. However, her Raiton was a poor match for your Doton. I trust you are safe." He took her silence and glower as an affirmative. "Very well, I will prepare to heal your wounds. Star, if you would?"

"Don't ignore me, boy!" Gayt turned rapidly only to be forced to parry several blows from his renewed adversary. He had no idea where she got the strength from, but she seemed almost feral. The flow of Raiton over her body didn't help the image. "You're a hundred years to early to turn your back on me in a fight, boy!"

Under his armor, he felt his lips want to curl into a smirk. _"If only she knew…"_ He swatted another attack with the flat of his blade before using that momentum to carry his blade into a diagonal strike. She jumped away and landed on a foot, a knee, and an open palm. She licked the wound on the back of her hand before thrusting the same hand forward.

He saw the latest ball of electricity and brought his sword over his head. With a booming voice, he brought his gigantic blade down in a massive, vertical slash. "Shippuu Boufuu." For a moment, the attacks met in midair. They seemed to be of equal power, but his attack eventually won. In either chakra or mana, wind always defeated lightning.

Yumiko screamed in agony as the wind-enhanced ball of lightning impacted her body. She was too stunned to move. With all the power and lethality the attack had, it moved at a snail's pace, but she was dumbstruck at how easily the armored behemoth overcame her _Yakedo_ when he used no techniques the Byakugan could discern.

* * *

Shino and Ino paused in their run when they heard a loud crash coming from down the hallway. There was only one problem. Whatever the noise was emanated from _opposite_ hallway his insects were telling him the fighting was. He looked down the empty passage and raised a brow when a second loud crash reverberated down the stony walls.

Ino looked down both paths and shrugged. "Hey Shino, should we hurry to help everybody or find out what the commotion's about?" She didn't realize it, but she was just as curious as her silent companion. He nodded his head, and they sped towards their new destination.

As they approached, the space between crashes became shorter and shorter. Ino also noted a shift in Shino's mood. His expression almost seemed to become darker, and she could hear the agitated bugs as they swarmed just under his clothes. She was about to ask when he placed an arm in front of her, effectively cutting her off and silencing her. "It's Hinata."

She blinked as she looked between him and the door. His curt response almost made her loose her temper. "Well, aren't you glad you found he-…?" She was cut off as a tingle traversed up and down her spine. Her entire body tensed as she felt the powerful aura and bloodlust behind it. _"Is that really Hinata?!"_

Shino tapped the door in Morse code. Ino recognized in and listened. 'Hinata, calm down(stop).' It was a moment later a response came. 'I will not calm down(stop). Let me out of here(stop).' Ino felt her teeth chatter. Something wasn't right, and Shino's ever arching brow only reinforced the notion. 'We're here to help(stop). Hinata, we are friends(stop).'

The last part seemed to calm the girl on the other side of the barricade down, but Shino actually sighed. He observed the door for a moment…before they heard another crash. A moment later, they heard the loud sound again. He turned to Ino to deliver his hypothesis. "She's trying to break the door down."

She practically exploded. "Of course she would! She wants out!" She noticed her compatriot merely nod, and her jaw nearly fell. Was he really just doing to stand there and do nothing? "Well! Aren't you going to help her out?"

His answer was short and to the point. "No." He watched as she threw a temper tantrum. It couldn't be helped. She didn't understand what was going on, and he zoned her out to concentrate on the problem at hand. When he felt her eyes boring into his skull, he finally answered. "She is in _Yakedo_. It is dangerous to go into this bli-…"

Before he could finish, the entire hall rumbled as a wall came crumbling down. Shino and Ino jumped back and entered their fighting stances. As the dust settled, Hinata emerged from the gaping wall. Over her body, water writhed rhythmically. When she looked at them, her eyes seemed to have a mirror coating over them. Shattered remnants of something fell from her wrists before she turned and purposely marched down the hall.

Ino was about to call out, but she found herself interrupted yet again. Shino held out his arm. When she looked to him, he was facing her with a finger over where she assumed his mouth was under his tall collar. She waited several agonizing seconds before blurting out. "What was that for?! Weren't you glad to see her?! You jerk! You could have helped her!"

He took a deep breath before responding to her. "As I told you before, it took everything Kiba, Kurenai, _and_ I had to subdue her once she entered _Yakedo_. She is currently beyond our abilities, and nothing can deter her from whatever she sees as her mission."

She stared blankly at him. She _did_ remember him mentioning _Yakedo_ before, but she still wasn't sure what it was. Still, she had another question on her mind. "What _is_ her mission?" She nearly choked on her tongue when she noticed he was no longer standing with her. Instead, he was halfway down the hall. She ran to catch up. "Wait, answer my que-…"

"She has only ever entered this state for Naruto's sake." He could have gone into detail, but he didn't feel like it. He was glad when his ally dropped the interrogation in favor of following Hinata and catching up to the rest of their allies. If Chouji was any indication, Yumiko was a powerful opponent not to be trifled with. If his insects were any indication, _Yakedo_ put her on equal ground with Hinata…only she had more experience and stamina.

* * *

Rikka watched Naruto as he snored on the ground. She squatted next to his face and poked his cheek. "He really _isn't_ any good with genjutsu; is he?" The fox shook his head. She was finding the whole situation strange. She had a lot of questions, and she hated how the fox seemed to block her mind reading ability. "Hey Kyuubi, what did he do to make Suna agree to a new treaty?"

He looked at her and smirked like only his fox form could. "Oh, you didn't hear from your precious okaa-sama?" He noticed the vein ready to pop. He was hoping the inflection insulting her mother would have exactly that reaction. "That idiot beat Gaara in a head-to-head fight. With their plans derailed, they withdrew and agreed to a ceasefire. With their Kazekage dead, they agreed to a renewed treaty."

She scoffed. "Please, that wouldn't ally Konoha and Suna into new trade agreements." She paused. "I've listened in on other Kagennotsuki, and it seems high profile families and shinobi are freely moving between the villages." It never made sense to her, and she wanted to find out just what was going on.

Kyuubi smirked. "Ah, isn't it rude to listen in on other clan members?" He sniggered when she leered at him. Oh, it was so fun to torment humans like he was _finally_ able to. "I guess you could say that Gaara was so impressed that he became fast friends with Naruto and created a strong alliance with Konoha. As Kazekage, he worked closely with Hokage-baa."

Rikka looked down. She never heard _any_ of what was just related. _"Did Orochimaru lie so blatantly to us?"_ She sighed inwardly. _"No, I doubt it would have changed okaa-sama's will. They both wanted Konoha destroyed, and that hatred has festered for years."_ She paused in her thoughts. _"Does that mean I view things differently from okaa-sama?"_

She almost yelped when the bijuu erupted into loud guffaws. Once again, she found herself leering at him. After a long string of laughter, he looked at her. "Judging from the expression on your face, I'd say you've come to see how unclear the lines are. I supposed Yumiko's hatred could only manage to draw weak ones in soft sand."

Rikka released a guttural sigh as she couldn't argue the point. She felt she was coming to see things in a new light, and she wasn't sure if she liked her blacks and whites dimmed by shades of gray.

* * *

Sakura stuck close to Shizune as they rushed through the trees and towards Housekiyama. She peered over her shoulder to the other three medics to join them. One stood out clearly with a canine following her, Inuzuka Hana. She was Kiba's sister and mostly experience as a veterinarian. Though, she was still a skilled medic when it came to humans.

She wasn't really worried about her, however. It was the two newly christened medic nin assigned to the team. She knew Tsunade had trained them, and they _were_ more than capable. She was just reluctant since they hadn't been on a mission involving combat for almost two years.

Nara Yoshi was from a family she knew naturally _should_ have produced more medics than it did. Of course, he knew all about herbs and natural remedies from living in the woods and relying on income from valuable deer antlers, but he just never considered life as a medic nin. He just followed in his father's footsteps.

He was Shikamaru's cousin, and he was about a year and a half older. Sakura wondered if all Nara dressed alike just to show what clan they were from or out of laziness. He even wore the same topknot. He was only a chunin because of Tsunade's medic program, but he didn't wear the traditional green vest…like most medics. He was a bit short and sinewy.

Yoshi and the final member of their medical team were once members of the same team from Team Gai's graduating class. Her name was Nagara Sayumi. Imagine her surprise when she found out the girl was a distant relative, and her chakra control was just as excellent. In fact, Yoshi had a similar level of chakra control…like most Nara. They only became medics because their other teammate was killed in action along with their sensei in a mission gone wrong.

Sakura was a bit jealous of Sayumi. She was the picture of beauty wrapped in a tomboy package. Her hair was cut short, which only served to accent her perfect face and curvaceous body. What truly set Sakura off was how she never wore anything flashy. She wore simple cut clothes that were functional and somewhat loose cut. Of course, those loose fitting clothes concealed her deadly darts and needles.

Sakura shuddered thinking about how closely Shizune and Sayumi resembled each other in combat. Thinking of her superior, she looked over to the older junin. "I know it's not my place, but are you sure we should be taking rookie medic nin with us?" She was certain excluding them wouldn't hurt their team strength any, but she didn't voice that opinion. She didn't want to discount them or insult them because they _were_ fine medics.

Shizune smiled. She understood where the inquiry came from. "Tsunade-sama feels that both Yoshi and Sayumi need field experience. They're perfectly capable shinobi." She smirked. "After all, you were off active duty for about the same amount of time they were."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at that. "True, but I had to take the chunin exams same as everybody else." Though there was some dissent in her tone, she understood the circumstances. Tsunade needed to prove to her advisors and the clans that she wasn't showing favoritism. She ended up being the perfect example to get the medical program running full swing.

Shizune giggled and was about to respond when Hana spoke up. "Keep your head cool, Sakura." Her grin was wide and confident. "We Inuzuka have a saying. Kick the pup out, so he can become a dog!" Sakura, Shizune, Sayumi, and Yoshi felt a nervous sweat as they declined comment. Hana roared happily. "You can't keep 'em locked up in the kennel all their lives. They gotta move on, and babying 'em won't help."

Sakura realized it. She really did. She was just reminded of so many things with those two. She remembered the bad way Team Asuma was in after his death. She remembered how long hard Naruto crashed when he found out about Jiraiya. Worse, she remembered Sasuke leaving the village…and his team behind.

No, she had to believe Hana's words. Now, she only had to clear out the image of the thirteen year old brat from Suna out of her head whenever she heard that name…

* * *

Yumiko stood once more as electricity arced over her body. She could smell the patches of burnt skin where Gayt's wind caused her own elemental chakra to backfire. Her rage was no longer blind, and she understood who her target should have been all along. The red-headed kunoichi wasn't a threat as long as she was injured and remained out of the fight.

With a clearer head, she was able to think things through. Her beloved Daikichi had injured the dangerous woman. The walking armor had jumped to her defense much the same as she had for her fourth husband. She eyed Gayt dangerously before running her hands through separate one handed seals.

Gayt was stunned to see the action she took, and he hesitated in bearing his sword to shield himself. When the attack left her hands, he was forced to holds his massive sword with two hands. One tightly held the grip while the other pressed against the flat of the blade.

He heard footfalls and was forced to take a step back. He was in no position to retaliate with his sword in the position it was. He also couldn't concentrate on his defense. He noticed too late that it wouldn't have mattered anyway. He fell to one knee with a sharp breath before he was forced to parry a strike from above. His opponent was more determined than ever to injure him.

She immediately noticed his change in behavior. He wasn't expecting her to be able to create hand signs with one hand. It was a skill she learned thanks to that book on kinjutsu. She smirked. _"I see. He was so stunned and distracted that he couldn't prepare that defensive jutsu from before. I was able to use one jutsu to distract him from the other, and I drew a weakening seal on his armor!"_

Kanaeru noticed the Fuuin glowing on her kousotsu's armor. It was a dangerous kinjutsu she thought known only to the Uzumaki clan. Her expression screwed into one of concern. No, the Senju also knew of it. She couldn't believe the Senju would betray such a secret, but it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Worse, it could have been stolen by a clan known for and even highlighted by betrayal.

She scoffed at her internal musings. She knew assumptions would get her nowhere, but she saw the battle was taking a turn for the worse. If Yumiko discovered her kousotsu was at a disadvantage to Fuuin, it would be no laughing matter. She positioned her hands to run through hand signs when she felt a powerful chakra heading their way. She looked up and recognized it as a Hyuuga…in _Yakedo_.

She smirked. Things would get interesting soon enough. Instead of finishing her technique, she dispersed it and returned her attention to the fight at hand. She almost flinched when Yumiko landed another good blow on Gayt, but the treacherous Hyuuga reeled back as her chakra backfired from another Kaze Suki. She prayed it meant his weakness hadn't quite been figured out.

She realized it wasn't too be as another Fuuin glowed into life on his armor. He felt some of his strength leave, and he faltered with his next step. He swung his heavy sword at an awkward angle and barely dodged the consequences. He felt electricity course through his armor, and he was momentarily paralyzed.

The moment was all Yumiko needed as she moved in for another strike. She launched into her own consecutive strike technique hoping to put an end to the fight with the armored behemoth. Though she felt plenty of chakra and vigor remaining, she wanted plenty left to heal Daikichi and return to her new toy, Naruto.

Gayt closed his eyes as he silently communicated with Star. He needed his Kaze Suki to defend himself against her elemental chakra, but it would leave him drained of mana. She needed to gather more to keep them fighting, but he wasn't sure how effective it would be.

Star quickly offered up a plan, and he acted on it. He dropped his sword and caught her fists. Electricity arched between them, but he held her tight. He didn't activate his defense, mostly because he couldn't. Separated from Star, she gathered mana as he held their opponent off. Gayt still felt pain, but he could hold on a while longer.

It was the moment Yumiko felt she had attained victory that the most unexpected of things happened. They were plastered against the far walls by a powerful stream of water. Fortunately for Gayt, his sword barely even tilted under the pressure. It still was incredibly uncomfortable to have his entire body convulse from a deluge of both Raiton and Suiton.

When the stream stopped, Yumiko and Gayt slid down the wall and glared at their attacker. While Yumiko stared wide-eyed, Gayt forced himself to his feet. It was hard, and the Fuuin glowed in retaliation. He made a move for his sword, but a geyser erupted in his path before he could move.

Yumiko smirked as she believed Rikka had completed her mission and broken the shy girl. She turned towards the door barring the intruders from Naruto and wondered if he was already in her power. If not, she wondered how soon. She was about to say something when her body was engulfed in sphere of water like a prison. _"Im-Impossible!"_

Kanaeru carefully spoke to her kousotsu. "Gayt, do you think you can heal my injuries, so I can mar those unsightly Fuuin?" She noticed the sour look she received from Hinata and defensively raised her hands. "Don't worry; we're friends. We'll even help you retrieve Naruto-kun if you help us." She wore a friendly smile in hopes she could get through to the shy heiress.

Hinata was like a different person when she experienced _Yakedo_. Without ever realizing it, Team Kurenai named it exactly as the ancient Hyuuga clan did once long ago. However, her mind still worked perfectly. She was more aggressive, and her body overflowed with chakra. However, she was still a loyal shinobi of the leaf…and she loved Naruto.

She turned to Yumiko and Gayt and concentrated on the geyser. It disappeared, and he limped to his gargantuan blade. She watched him the entire time, wary of any wrong moves. When he knelt before Kanaeru, she turned her attention back to the perpetrator of the whole mess.

She didn't speak. She only turned her hands, palms outstretched, towards the offending person. She started constricting her hands like she had wrapped them around somebody's neck and had started squeezing. Yumiko responded in kind by frantically scratching at her neck as if she were trying to remove unseen hands. It didn't help that her _Yakedo_ was still active and arcing right back to her within the sphere of water.

While Gayt attended to Kanaeru, he observed Hinata's drastic change in behavior. _"I hope she retains enough of her personality to refrain from fighting us. Once I heal Kanaeru-sama, I'll be completely drained of mana once again. Star is too weak to gather that much again, and she needs enough for her own life force."_

He didn't realize it, but the sumitsuki was thinking along the same lines. She was calculating how much chakra she had remaining, and she knew either Hyuuga in _Yakedo_ was well out of her hands. If she were at full strength, it might be a different story…against Hinata. She could only hope Hinata won, retained her sense of friend and foe, _and_ decided finding Naruto was a bigger priority.

* * *

On the outside, Kanaeru and Gayt never noticed the struggle going on insider her mind. Hinata felt like she was facing a mirror image of herself. She faced her inner self who held onto all her repressed rage and hatred. Hinata had refused those feelings, and she always thought she had thrown them away. Instead, they festered into the broken mirror image standing before her with a wicked grin plastered on her face.

"Don't get in Kagami's way, Hime-chan." Her hands were clenched around an imagined neck as she mercilessly squeezed tighter and tighter. She was out for blood, and Yumiko's would do nicely.

Hinata swallowed. She wanted this over with as soon as possible, but she wasn't strong enough to break through on her own. "I-It's m-more like Kagamirigachi." She flinched as she expected her broken self to retaliate.

Her broken self looked over her shoulder with an egotistic smirk. "Oh, I like that! I'm Kagamirigachi!" She broke into hysterical laughter. She knew it would strike the outer self as odd, but she would never retaliate. She really did like the name, and her only interest was doing what needed to be done. Why were her teammates always trying to hard to stop her?

Hinata gasped and lunged forward. "No! Don't kill her!" She was frantic. She wasn't sure what her broken self was going to do, but she was certain she was constricting the sphere of water around their…her opponent.

Kagamirigachi actually sneered at her outer self. "What are you talking about? That woman hurt Naruto-kun!" Her grip tightened on the imagined neck. "She made him watch from his own body as he was made to kill everything precious to him! Even if it was just a genjutsu, you'd just let her get away with that?!"

Hinata was almost in tears, and her crestfallen expression almost made the broken self slacken. Her sobbing broke up her speech as she tried to press her feelings across. "I-I know wh-what she feels like. I-If tou-san made me ma-marry somebody I didn't lo-love, I m-might turn out e-exactly l-l-like her."

Kagamirigachi scoffed. "You're always so weak, Hime-chan." She paused as she slackened her hands a bit. "If you don't have resolve, how can you ever make Naruto-kun see you?" In a gleeful fit, she constricted her hands even tighter. She felt elation as Yumiko struggled even harder to break free.

Then she felt a hard slap snap her face to one side. Her grip slacked enough for Yumiko to pop her head outside the sphere of water for some much needed air. Hinata stood in front of her broken self with a tear streaked face. "Naruto-kun wouldn't want any of this!" Despite being nearly broken from exhaustion and fear, the shy heiress stood defiant.

Kagamirigachi was stunned silent, but she quickly regained her composure. Before Yumiko could retaliate, she covered the offensive woman enough that she couldn't escape but was perfectly capable of breathing. "You think that after all this he'd be willing to just let bygones be bygones?"

They both stiffened as they felt a hand grace their…her shoulder.

* * *

Shino carefully approached Hinata. Ino stood at the entrance in stunned silence. She couldn't believe the powerful Suiton technique the shy heiress had pulled off. More so, she couldn't believe she was on the verge of viciously killing their opponent. She was almost scared to approach, and she only hoped Shino would be safe.

The bug tamer was certain she would not attack him. She never had before. Though they had to go all out to restrain her, it was mostly to tend to her poor victim and keep her at a safe distance. She turned her face to look at him with those mirror coated eyes, and he actually felt a shiver run the length of his spine. "It's okay. You find Naruto; we'll handle this."

Kanaeru watched the scene with a wide grin plastered on her face. Hiashi was going to get an earful when she got back to Konoha! It took a bit of healing, but she was finally able to 'hear' what was going on inside Hinata's pretty little head. She might not have heard it like a Kagennotsuki, but she had a fairly clear picture of what was going on. _Yakedo_ always presented an interesting dilemma, but Hinata just made things more interesting.

* * *

"Please, Shino-kun's right." Hinata pleaded with her broken self. She only hoped her mirror listened.

"Tch…" Kagamirigachi clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth in disappointment. "Bugs had to go and ruin our fun."

Hinata pouted at the rude nickname her counterpart gave her friend, but the broken self shrugged it off as if it were nothing. They had come to a rough compromise.

* * *

Yumiko dropped to the ground as she was released from the sphere of water. She coughed up what fluid remained in her lungs as Hinata walked towards the door separating them from Naruto. She could only watch as her elemental chakra ripped the door from its hinges, and she walked in.

As she stood, she came to realize several facts. She was outnumbered, but she'd handled worse. She also noted, much to her dismay, that her _Yakedo_ was no longer active. Involuntarily, her body slumped as she noted another distasteful idea. She was _very_ low on chakra.

Neither Shino nor Ino looked to pose a huge threat. They had somehow managed an upset against Basuto, but a victory against such a skilled warrior had to have taken its toll. They were also alone, and she took that to mean the others had to have been defeated. Sure, her third husband was dead, but she had absolute faith that he had taken his targets with him to the grave.

Kanaeru and Gayt had put up a good fight, but they had to be stretched to their limits already after having faced her fourth husband and her _Yakedo_. In fact, the latter was still kneeling while the former used a disadvantageous element. She figured that, all in all, she had a huge advantage to continued fighting.

While she slipped into a ready stance, she noted the world spinning round her. She shook her head and double checked her condition. Her eyes widened as she realized her Byakugan had at some point deactivated…and her chakra was falling fast. She fell to all fours and clenched her eyes shut. She…felt something moving across her skin.

"I wouldn't recommend moving." The calm, masculine voice unnerved her. Through a process of elimination, she knew it belonged to the Aburame. "You're chakra is dangerously low, and my kikaichu will continue to feed until either you stop struggling or I order them to." He paused, and she swore it was for dramatic effect. "You've lost."

* * *

Inside the room, Hinata saw Naruto's slumbering form. She hesitantly walked to the bed on which he lay, and her _Yakedo_ finally broke down. As her Byakugan deactivated, she stared down at him. _"Why's he still under the genjutsu? He should have been freed from it when I was."_

She gathered chakra and formed familiar hand signs. "_Kai_!" With the disruptive chakra in tow, she placed her fore and middle fingers against his forehead. After she forced it through his system, she was surprised to see he didn't wake up. _"No way, I couldn't have messed up!"_

Activating her Byakugan, she scanned the room to find a reason why he was being so difficult. She was distraught to find Fuuin etched throughout the room. They prevented her from completely disrupting the flow of chakra in his body, but they shouldn't have prevented him from waking up when pain brought Rikka to her knees. She had a feeling some mind technique was responsible, but she had no real proof.

She sat down next to her entrapped crush as she rummaged through her mind for answers. She knew he was bad with genjutsu, but even it didn't explain his current state. She leaned over him and cupped her hands around his shoulders. She knew it wouldn't work, but she shook him and spoke gently to him. "Naruto-kun, wake up." She paused. "Ramen, there's Ichiraku Ramen here for you!"

* * *

Before anybody asks, I did realize I named Tomoyuki Tsume with the same familiar name as Inuzuka Tsume...a chapter or two after doing so. Also, yes I realize Hinata seems to have a split pesonality while in her _Yakedo_. I have reasons for everything! Belive me...

Cold Hinata, that was so cold. I wonder if 'Prince Charming' will awaken to your words. Hey, anything's fine if you're desperate to save somebody, right.

A note on the manga front, I _really_ hope they haven't actually killed off Kakashi. I mean, Naruto's already lost most of his familial type precious people.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,020  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

baa - grans: Probably made up, but I'm going with it.

_Raiton: Rairyuudan no Jutsu_ - _Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Projectile Technique_: A high level jutsu, _Raiyuudan_ usually required complicated seals to perform. Yumiko gets around that by drawing a forbidden seal in the air and pushing her 'burning' chakra into it.

Kaze Suki - Wind Armor Chink: Gayt kindly translated the technique's name from his home's language. A defensive technique by nature, Kaze Suki acts as a second layer of armor.

Shippuu Boufuu - Hurricane Gale: Gayt kindly translated the technique's name from hsi home's language. A primarily offensive technique by nature, Shippuu Boufuu produced gale force winds capable of easily blowing most anything away.

Kagami - Mirror: The broken reflection inside Hinata calls herself this.

Kagamirigachi - Broken Mirror: Hinata calls the broken reflection within herself this, and she likes it more than what she called herself.


	12. Chapter 11: The Fat Lady Hates You

TimeShifter: Ah, I misinterpreted your question last time then... Anyway, Ahito was meant as the bane whereas Kakashi and the line that led to him were meant as the boon. Again, my issue in presenting transparency. I've been working on that... The 'stranger' also couldn't be Orochimaru because it was near Konoha's inception. I'll let people guess for a while longer. Basuto is also much older; he's Yumiko's first son from a loving marriage. Gayt isn't..._technically_ immortal. He's just got a really complicated history, and I want to leave him as a rather minor character for a while longer. I think I agree with you on the immortality issue, too. I intend to keep Yoshi and Sayumi on as minor characters. All my original characters fill a specific role I don't think is present, like a good, fully trained medical staff in this case (present company of Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura excluded). I will say this for Sayumi in concern for Naruto. I have no plans of making her go after him. She was brought in partially to counterbalance Yumiko. Sayumi is a smart, competent, respectable woman. Yumiko is an arrogant, vein, contemptible woman. As for the women 'after' Naruto now, I just love wrenches...and wanted a fangirl for him (Tsume). I _think_ I mentioned how Rikka was supposed to break Hinata... If not, it's not important. The rest should be answered shortly. Now, I need to ponder my transparency issues...

samueltm2: I'm a little late on this chapter due to classes and evil retail work, sorry.

* * *

**Chapter 11:  
The Fat Lady Hates You  
**

Inoichi turned to his teammates and best friends. "Shall we do the usual?" The grin that plastered his face showed a confidence befitting his proposal.

Shikaku jumped down from his roost atop the small guard shed. He answered as he rubbed the back of his head. "You're so troublesome, Inoichi."

Chouja chuckled as he patted the blond mentalist on the back. He failed to check his strength, so the elder blond was nearly sent flying. "You know something, right?"

Inoichi cleared his throat and regained his composure. He liked his friends, so he had gotten used to their bad habits. …he was one to talk. "Oh, a little of this, a little of that…"

Chouja shook his head. "A little vague, are we?" He thought as he rubbed his chin. "Well, I bet they all come home under their own power."

Shikaku sighed. "Optimistic as always… It's troublesome, but I think they'll be carrying Naruto back." He neglected to mention his reasoning. _"Kid tends to go all out."_

Inoichi eyed his friends carefully. "You two drove me into a hard spot…" He thought it over for a moment. "Well, I bet they have to drag a few home on stretchers. Chouji'll probably be among them since he'll use those Akimichi pills."

Chouja frowned. "That's not fair. Chouji-kun's gotten a lot stronger lately!" His friends shared a good hearted laugh as he pouted. He knew they didn't mean anything by it, but it was still kind of annoying. "Well, it's my turn to place a…"

"Wait…" The three turned to one of the chunin guards on duty. "You guys are placing bets…on the outcome of a mission?"

Shikaku shrugged. "Yeah, what's the harm in it?" He eyed them suspiciously. "It's troublesome, but do you guys want to join?"

Both chunin guards crossed their arms in front of them like giant x marks. The same one who spoke earlier answered. "No way! You can't make bets on Uzumaki! Too unpredictable!"

The three jonin shrugged, and Chouja replied. "Your loss." He turned back to his friends. "Anyway, I bet they capture 'em all alive."

Inoichi rubbed his forehead. "Man, you really are too optimistic. It's smarter to bet at least one of those guys kicks the bucket. I mean; at least four of them are out for blood."

Shikaku half-heartedly answered. "Yeah, I'm with you on this one. I think they'll keep the bare minimum alive for questioning. Only one is getting escorted here." With a lazy drawl, he continued after a moment to think. "It's troublesome, but we'll probably have to carry at least a few to the triage."

Inoichi crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "I hate to say it, but I bet we got called out here for nothing. Hokage-sama's just being overly cautious. Not a bad trait mind you, but we won't even be needed."

"Oh-ho…" Chouja slammed his fist into an awaiting hand. "I'm too optimistic, huh? I bet we'll have to restrain somebody to be escorted to ANBU Headquarters for interrogation."

The three jonin smirked and laid their hands in the center of the makeshift circle they formed. With a quick nod, they pushed their hands down and came to an agreement. The bets were made. They only needed to wait to find their results.

* * *

Neji looked to the cave entrance the opponent led them out of. It was strange, but he couldn't sense anything through the cave walls. Worse, his Byakugan couldn't penetrate either. As his frustration grew, he was interrupted by the shadow of a feminine figure. He looked up to see Tenten and her smiling face.

"Are you worried about Hinata?" He wondered if she enjoyed beating herself with the Obvious Stick. With a sigh, he merely nodded his head. The smile on her face only grew in response. "Then let's go!" Enthusiastically, she offered him her hand and refused to take no as an answer.

Reluctantly, he accepted. As he brushed himself off and straightened his clothes, he looked back to their opponent. He was uneasy leaving such a dangerous man alone _and _alive. He wanted ANBU to question him properly, so he turned to his teammate with a request. "You _did_ remember to bring the parchments for sealing a captive's chakra and movement, correct?"

Reaching into her supply case, she produced the requested parchments. "Of course… Why do you ask? Hey!" Before she could respond, he grabbed them from her open palm and proceeded to restrain the downed man. She watched in mild confusion. "I thought you said he was down."

He stood back up and started walking towards the entrance. "It never hurts to be too cautious." He was almost to the cave entrance before she responded. Even with his eyes closed, he could easily read her. She shrugged, not really satisfied, and followed anyway. They both knew the key fact remained. They had friends and allies in danger.

It wasn't a long trek back to the spacious cavern where they first met the rogue Hyuuga, but the scene was vastly different. Tenten openly gaped in horror at the sight while Neji narrowed his eyes. Chouji and Suichi were in bad shape…but it looked like they had received some medical treatment. He held back a sigh of relief. At least it was a consolation prize.

Chouji was unconscious and snoring inside a crater. After checking his vitals and verifying he was indeed only sleeping, she quickly moved onto the sponsor for her mission. He smiled and greeted her, but she inspected his wounds nonetheless. Neji observed as he moved closer, but he edged towards where he sensed a large group.

Suichi's body had seen better days. Though partially healed, he still had deep gashes at each of his shoulders. From the looks of things, he was run through by his own blades. It was difficult to take in, but the two of them lost their battle against the rogue Hyuuga, badly.

Suichi spoke up in that formal, commanding tone of his. "Listen, don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Go help your friends. Hurry!" He wore a smile as Tenten nodded in response. He noted Neji's lack of formal acknowledgement, but the two teens quickly disappeared through the only passageway leading deeper into the enemy's lair.

As they ran, their hearts were pounding in their ears. They could feel the ebb and flow of chakra as combatants used technique after technique. They could hear the intensity of the battle as collisions between techniques exploded or metal met metal. They could _feel_ power behind every blow as the surrounding walls shook and some stones tumbled free.

Then Neji froze. Tenten noticed and stopped. She urged him to continue, but he didn't hear. Something in his body told him of the immense danger he was rushing into, and only fools rush to their own deaths. He didn't know what it was; he never felt anything like it in his life. He just knew, with every fiber of his being, that continuing forward was _very_ hazardous for their health.

Then, just as suddenly, the weight was lifted from his chest, and he could breath normally again. His knees shook, but he did not allow himself to fall. He closed his eyes and panted as he leaned against a wall, and a comforting hand rested on his shoulder.

When he opened his eyes, his Byakugan blazed forth. "I'm sorry about that, Tenten." He felt like his body was on fire as sweat flowed from every pore. "Let us go to Hinata-sama's aid." He pushed himself from the wall and continued forward.

She nodded, not asking the questions she wanted to ask. As she fell into step with him, he increased his speed. They were soon back to full speed, racing towards something powerful enough to leave the Hyuuga prodigy shaken. _"Please guys, be okay…"_

Tenten was grateful for what she saw when they finally arrived to help. They joined Shino and Ino near the entrance to the small alcove. She took a moment to survey the room. She was startled by the scene.

Daikichi, their sponsor's brother, lay on the floor. He fought to remain conscious, and blood still slowly seeped from his wound. She almost flinched at the sight of his entrails, but she knew it was the shinobi way of life. Needless to say, he looked about ready to push up daisies. She was just glad they remained _inside_.

Kanaeru and Gayt were in _much_ better shape. The red-headed kunoichi had cuts along her sleeves, and her shoulders looked to be slowly healing. It was also obvious she was suffering from chakra exhaustion. The armored hulk, on the other hand, was significantly harder to read. He was kneeling…and panting. At least it looked like his armor shifted with his breath; it was hard to tell.

The final occupant in the room was the rogue Hyuuga. She was covered with Shino's kikaichu, a writhing mass over her back and shoulders. She was soaking wet and worn ragged. The vague smell of charred flesh emanated from her. She looked in no condition to fight.

The alcove looked worse for wear. Newly created pits decorated all surrounding walls. A door towards the center was ripped from its hinges and haphazardly thrown to the side. All in all, somebody did a nice little number to what might have once been a comely, comfortable room.

The brown-haired kunoichi also noted the smell of ozone only created by electricity or Raiton.

Neji saw a different story with his Byakugan. Daikichi _was_ on Death's doorstep. Ino could fix that, though. Kanaeru was in no condition to fight, and Gayt was as unreadable as ever. Was his armor glowing differently than before? The sword had a shape _kind of_ resembling the light fleck known as Star.

No, something about the alcove disturbed him. For starters, he couldn't see into the room the door was ripped from. Then there was that strange strain on Shino's chakra. Finally, the worst was the rogue Hyuuga. Her chakra just looked unhealthy.

His eyes narrowed at that. _Why_ did her chakra look so unhealthy? Shino's kikaichu should have drained her of any chakra readily available for her to mold. He concentrated harder and saw the reason. She was drawing _vital_ chakra away from her internal organs.

His gaze fell to the bug tamer when he flicked his wrists, and his kikaichu returned. "This isn't good…" Shino didn't elaborate as he deliberated with his returning scouts. He peered through his shaded glasses as Yumiko slowly inched her arms under her chest.

Not being one to go in without information, Neji queried the bug user for something of more substance. "What do you mean? Does she have too much chakra for your kikaichu?" He knew how much the Aburame loathed allowing their kikaichu to gorge themselves.

Shino shook his head. "No, they disdain chakra which tastes of blood." His eyebrows knitted themselves as his eyes narrowed. "If she persists, she will perish." It was a scenario he preferred to avoid. If he was right, she was the mastermind behind the whole incident.

Yumiko pushed herself up and against the wall. Every muscle in her body ached, and she strained to push past the pain. She knew the ancient technique she was using was extremely dangerous. However, she was less concerned about her current body and more concerned about her essence, soul, spirit, or whatever whoever wanted to call it. Her children could find her a new body and perform the forbidden ceremony.

She eyed the newcomers with contempt. She knew Shino and Ino were matched against Basuto. She was certain his Kazanton was the perfect match against his kikaichu, and her mental abilities were too slow to be effective. They had also arrived shortly after Hinata. Were they the ones who freed her?

Her gaze traveled to Neji and Tenten, and her blood boiled upon seeing the Byakugan. They were matched against her youngest, Saiga. Though he still possessed his original body, his _Hyougusoku_ should have been strong enough for any Hyuuga technique. Besides, the girl was only skilled in multitudes of weapons and limited summoning.

Her chakra spiked, and she molded it to activate her own Byakugan. She already knew Neji was from the branch by his covered forehead, but she was finally able to see it through the offset world of her enhanced vision. She sneered at him. If she was losing a body too soon, she may as well try to enlist new help.

"I am Hyuuga Yumiko." She made a point of jerking her head to clear her bangs away from her forehead. The leaf nin were surprised by the dull curse seal on her forehead, except for Neji. "I'm impressed you beat my sons, but I'm not about to lose to some wet-behind-the-ears rookies!" She could tell they were all at least chunin, but it didn't matter.

She set her icy glower on the lone jonin. "You're a Hyuuga from the branch. Don't you hate the main house?" His expression darkened, and she thought she had him. "Join me, and we'll punish those hypocrites! We'll _destroy_ the main house! We'll destroy any who oppose us!" Her lips quivered in fanciful delight at thoughts of her revenge.

Neji closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if contemplating the proposal. With calm, unwavering voice, he answered. The rogue Hyuuga waited on baited breath. "I refuse." Nearby, the leaf nin chuckled. The answer was beyond obvious to them.

"W-Why?!" Yumiko stuttered out, wide eyed. His refusal made no sense. "Haven't they mocked you? …ridiculed you? Don't they deserve to be punished?!" She felt her concentration slip, and her chakra dipped for a moment. She knew her time was limited, so she prepared to mold a specific technique.

Neji opened his eyes with a smirk. "Perhaps they do." He watched a confident grin spread across her lips as if she had one. "Perhaps _changing_ them is the greatest punishment there is to offer." Her face pressed into a firm frown. "Hinata-sama and Naruto-san have both made promises to change the Hyuuga, and both share the same nindo." He paused for dramatic effect. "They _never_ go back on their word."

Yumiko's face contorted into an angry grimace as she had her fill of the mindless ants of Konoha. She flashed through hand seals far faster than her condition should allow and molded her chakra perfectly for a technique she invented after seeing Saiga's _Hyougusoku_. "Vermin… _Raiton: Raigusoku_!" Her hairs stood on end and clothes pulled taught as they were pushed from her body as her skin charged with electricity.

Neji noticed the change, but he couldn't notice something only those who had experienced it would. _Raigusoku_ was very different from _Yakedo_. It didn't have the same fear-inducing effect or awesome power. Though no change was visibly evident except for the charged effect, she somehow looked more fearsome.

It did, however, look different to the Byakugan. Every tenketsu on her body lit up brightly. It was almost blinding. He resisted deactivating his enhanced vision as he lowered into his juuken stance. He knew he was in a dangerous situation, but he had to stop the rogue Hyuuga fast.

* * *

Hinata pouted when Naruto hardly even stirred. He smacked his lips like he was responding, but he was still trapped in the strange genjutsu. She was wondering how she was going to release him when she realized how close her face was too his. A blush spread across her cheeks as she slowly leaned down. _"What am I doing?!"_

_

* * *

  
_

Rikka looked up when she heard Hinata's voice roll across the sky. She was confused about the mention of the ramen and its stand…until Naruto's mind revealed the necessary details. She shook her head. The names of the ramen chef and his daughter were familiar; he'd thought of or mentioned them before. It was kind of hard to remember which with her abilities.

Kyuubi scoffed. "If I could take control of kit's body for a minute, I'd have some fun tormenting his potential vixen." He sniggered at the thought. How had his host missed the flowering beauty for so long?

Rikka blinked. "I don't understand. You can't?" It seemed strange to her. "He's unconscious…while unconscious. You might be sealed, but he can't do anything." She remembered the choker his human form wore.

He shook his head and contemplated what he felt like telling her. "Doesn't work that way. Anyway…" His gaze snapped to Naruto when he heard him slurp. He and Rikka watched as the blond salivated, sat up, and motioned like he was eating. They only needed one guess to know what was in the imaginary bowl, ramen.

Kyuubi looked up like he was complaining to the heavens. "For once, why can't I have things my way? Just one itsy-bitsy favor…" Rikka found his immature talk oddly humorous. "Let me tell the potential vixen to wake kit up with a kiss!" His plea almost sounded like a prayer.

As if on cue, Naruto's head rolled, and his eyes opened to the sky. After a moment, he blinked. "Eh, I thought I heard a pretty voice tell me my ramen was ready… It wasn't Ayame-neechan, either…" Slowly, his gaze fell to the slightly startled look Rikka wore…then the low chuckling of Kyuubi. "Why do I have all the luck?"

Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "My, I have never been so feared." His words were thick with sarcasm as he thought over the years. He hated the seal almost as much as he hated the Uchiha and Orochimaru. Well, at least it was less tormenting.

In a sudden bout of alertness, Naruto snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, why am I still in this genjutsu?" He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes as he carefully thought. After what felt like an eternity to Rikka and Kyuubi, he came to a genius conclusion. "Oh well, I should just try releasing myself from it!"

If Kyuubi were in his human form, he'd have firmly planted his face in his palm. His host could be so dense at times. Rikka stared dumbly as he carefully crossed his hands and shaped his chakra as Jiraiya taught him. "_Kai_!" The world faded around him.

* * *

Before Hinata could react, Naruto bolted upright. Well, he was as upright as he could be with her hovering a scant few inches over him. He smacked his lips right into hers, and they shared an unintentional kiss. Their reactions were immediate and predictable.

Before she could fully register what happened, her skin turned crimson from head to toe. What remained of her breathing was rapid and shallow, and she struggled to _not_ wrap her arms around him and force the kiss to become passionate. As thoughts rushed through her head, collided, and imploded in on themselves, she did what she was famous for. She fainted.

In the panic he was experiencing, her grasped her shoulders and pushed her away. He was a little rougher than he intended, but he thought he had done something terribly, terribly wrong. She was the Hyuuga _heiress_ for crying out loud! He immediately started apologizing…only for her to pass out in his arms. Unconscious girl cuddling into his chest, he panicked at what it might look like to outside observers. _"I am _so_ dead!"_

In his mindscape, Kyuubi was disappointed he no longer had anybody to gloat with.

* * *

Yumiko knew she didn't have long, so she rushed in with a juuken strike ready. She wanted to save her fellow Hyuuga for last. _He_ was going to receive her copycat technique to the famous _Hakke_, and she didn't want him seeing it too early. She targeted the weakest of the group, Ino.

According to her daughter, Ino was from the Yamanaka clan. They were hated by the Kagennotsuki clan because they could break through psychic abilities and complete control genjutsu. They were not known for their taijutsu or anything else for that matter. The famous Ino-Shika-Cho team was created with Nara and Akimichi clan members to compensate for the weaknesses of each.

Yumiko smirked because neither Nara nor Akimichi were present. A member of the Aburame stood nearby, but his kikaichu didn't seem all that interested in her chakra. Tenten stood on the other side of Neji, and he was in a low stance which provided better leverage for counter attack than rushing to someone else's aid.

She threw a chakra-enhanced, open-palmed strike. Her aim was to use brute force to take out the girl's heart. The blond brat was hers! Her sight was focused on the look of abject terror her target was sure to be feeling. Then, her world turned upside down…literally. Her eyes widened as her back harshly landed against the floor. In a fit of pain, her body arched belly forward.

In seemingly practiced teamwork, Shino and Ino worked to neutralize the threat. The young Yamanaka may not be known for taijutsu, but she trained with Tsunade and Sakura for too many years to remain ignorant of effective parrying and countering techniques.

As soon as her older opponent dedicated herself to her strike, Ino used a simple jab to take out her elbow. Then she swept out her legs. Those feats accomplished, she used her lower position as leverage to continue Yumiko's momentum _over_ her in flight. As she arched in pain, Shino played his part.

He knew his kikaichu would refuse to eat her chakra, but he had other uses besides his myriad of insects. As soon as her body began to flatten, he jumped into the air to deliver a bone-jarring knee kick to her stomach. He wanted her alive, so he didn't aim for her sternum. He could only hope it kept her down.

As soon as his knee landed in her gut, Yumiko lurched forward with that spot as a center point. Air was forced out of her lungs, and she couldn't immediately gasp for breath with her diaphragm pushed up as it was. Even as she felt bile rising in her throat, she knew her technique was about to retaliate.

Ino shook her arms as the numbness faded. She remembered their opponent using some technique a moment ago, and her body fluidly finished the counter without really thinking about it. She had made minimal contact, but her arms and one leg felt numb… Her eyes widened as she thought of the name for the technique and turned to Shino.

He leapt away, head downcast. His expression was impossible to read, but pain was evident as he grasped his knee. He eyed the rogue Hyuuga. He knew the technique used her Raiton nature to create a body armor, but he thought losing concentration in Ino's counter would disperse it. He sat up to warn his comrades only to see he was too late.

Tenten rushed ahead of Neji as soon as she saw Shino leap away in pain. She summoned a long pole weapon and aimed it at Yumiko's clavicle. The general idea was to keep her in so much pain that she couldn't move. The downed Hyuuga caught the incoming weapon, however, and she suddenly felt electricity rush through her body.

Yumiko smiled in satisfaction as the girl with a no-name clan convulsed with electricity running through her. Sure, it wasn't enough to kill or even visibly see without the Byakugan, but it was still satisfying. She stood just as Neji came within range to strike. She figured he was about to try a simple juuken strike, so she was going to let him. They would feel hopeless soon!

Neji saw what happened to Tenten, and inwardly he was furious. He narrowed his eyes and easily concentrated on further enhancing his vision. With practiced ease, he shifted into his deadliest attack. "_Hakke Hyakunijuuhachishou_!" He knew every hit would sting, but he felt closing her tenketsu was his top priority.

Yumiko felt the blood drain from her face. How could he, a _branch_, know the prized _Hakke_?! His first few series of strikes did nothing to her defense, and she almost laughed at the pained expression he wore. Her eye twitched, however, when she realized something.

Her _Raigusoku_ was fading. She quickly analyzed her body. Through some miracle or fluke, he managed to shut down a tenketsu or two. It was just enough to disrupt her technique without dispersing it, but it made things easier for him. As Tenten was able to get free and jump away, Neji entered his final series of strikes.

He smirked in satisfaction as several more tenketsu were closed off. His hands were so numb he was unable to push more chakra into them, but at least he would do more physical damage after her technique fell apart. With Yumiko forced against a wall, he rubbed his hands together to try to bring feeling back. _"Let this battle be over…"_

Yumiko panted as she surveyed her adversaries. They were tougher than she originally thought, but they were still Konoha ants. A quick analysis of her body told her what techniques she could and couldn't perform, and her most powerful were out. However, she suspected Neji, Tenten, and Shino were in no condition to continue fighting. As long as she could take out Ino, she could take her time with the rest.

Her head jerked to one side when she heard footsteps. She noticed two silhouettes coming from the room Naruto had been slumbering. She knew who the two forms could only be, and a smirk crept onto her lips as she felt certainty Rikka had completed her task. She then heard an odd whirling noise and couldn't quite figure out what it was.

* * *

Naruto carefully shook Hinata. "Hey, wake up Hina-chan." She stirred slightly under his gentle attempts. He sighed in relief. After a moment, he felt her hands clutch his jacket. When he looked down, he noticed a blush on her cheeks and her eyes clenched shut. A grin spread across his face. "Good! You're awake! Let's go, Hina-chan."

Hinata figured he didn't even notice it. Naruto, without hesitation, abbreviated her name and added a friendly address. She was so wrapped up in her fantasies that she barely noticed him stand. She quickly did the same, but she kept her head down to hide her blush and smile. _"Naruto-kun called me Hina-chan!"_

He molded his chakra and prepared the technique he was famous for. "_Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" He was flanked by two _Kage Bushin_. His face was set in a stern and serious scowl. Yumiko, their 'generous' hostess, was going to pay. "Hey Hinata…" She almost looked dejected. "…let me take care of this."

She nodded with a confirmation noise, and he looked over his shoulder with a confident smirk. "I promise I'll get you out of here! Let's go home together!" He gave her a thumbs-up over his shoulder, and his _Kage Bushin_ mirrored him.

Her eyes wide with delight; she tilted her head to one side with a bright smile and brighter blush. "Right!" She was determined, more than ever, to awaken his eyes to her. She may be an heiress, but she felt like being selfish in just one thing.

She watched in amazement as he gathered chakra and had his _Kage Bushin_ help him shape and charge his famous _Rasengan_. She'd seen it several times before, but she'd never seen him add an element in. The familiar ball of chakra formed just above his palm, but small edges stretched outwards.

He smirked as he called the name. "_Fuuton: Rasengan_!" He nodded to her, and they proceeded to the open door. As the sounds of fighting became clearer, the _Kage Bushin_ dispersed themselves. Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata approached the door, and they narrowed their eyes to protect against the sudden, extra light.

* * *

Shino nodded to Hinata when she emerged with Naruto, and he quickly eyed the readied _Rasengan_ hovering over his open palm. Ino heaved a sigh of relief. She was the only one present who recognized his element-enhanced technique. Tenten and Neji gave the pair a questioning look, wondering if Yumiko locked them up together.

Their adversary stood confidently on shaky legs. She was certain the jinchuuriki was there to help her, and the shy heiress was likely just following her crush like a lost puppy. She could taste the sweet nectar of victory, and her chortle started deep in her throat…which she immediately sneered at because she was reminded of the taste of bile. The bug tamer was going to pay for her discomfort.

She turned to gloat only to feel killer intent focus in on her. In a cold sweat, she turned to the originator, and the color left her face. Naruto, her precious Naruto, was rushing toward her with his attack cocked and ready to go. She watched the ever approaching Fuuton with absolute dread.

The moment it impacted, her world turned white. Her vision burned as her Byakugan flickered off. The searing pain only amplified itself as her body instinctively activated her Raiton to drive it away. She knew from the beginning. He was the worst possible elemental matchup for her.

She fell to her knees, eyes blank. Her mouth hung open, jaw limp. She was blind, and she knew her current body was at its limit. Daikichi was in no position to help her. She didn't know the condition her children were in, and her other husband was dead. As she fell face first into the dirt, she closed her eyes believing everything had finally collapsed around her.

Naruto panted as he looked down at her. Even just the elementally enhanced _Rasengan_ required a ton of concentration. He wasn't tired, but he needed to catch his breath. After a moment, he plopped his butt on the ground. He grinned as he looked around the room. "Hey guys, how's everybody doing?"

An irritated, blond chunin was about to answer, but a red-headed kunoichi giggled. "Well Naruto-kun, we'll be in a lot better shape once we get some medical treatment." Her eyes rested on Ino then Hinata. She had a feeling they both knew a thing or two about first aid treatment.

Ino nodded. "Right, I'll…" She paused when a hand rested on her shoulder for a split second. She turned to face Shino, and her face contorted into a questioning look.

He stood favoring his injured knee a little before he indicated Yumiko with a dip of his head. "It's best if ANBU interrogates her." She nodded at the implied meaning. The rest of them could wait; they were in no danger. He turned his attention to Hinata. "Can you do anything for the samurai?"

Hinata was standing next to Naruto, making sure he was okay, when she heard her teammate's question. She looked to the fallen samurai and thought for a moment. It looked to her like a blade had run him clean through, and his blood was settling poorly. She nodded her head. "I-I can try."

Shino leaned against a wall; his task completed. It was worth it to bring Yumiko and Daikichi in for questioning. He was less sure about the 'sons' she spoke of. He figured it would be pointless to just kill them, but he didn't know how much information they could give. He was less certain that they held any useful information.

He looked to Neji, and they shared a silent moment of understanding. With only Hinata and Ino healing, it would be a while before they were ready to move out. As soon as they were healed enough, they had to make sure the prisoners were gathered at a central location and restrained completely. They were also worried about three they hadn't seen yet.

* * *

The hours passed without further incident. Neji collected Saiga while Shino gathered Basuto. The brothers had regained consciousness while they were away, but they hadn't been able to escape their bindings. They even made idle threats until they saw their mother and Daikichi. The sight had effectively shut them up.

While Hinata and Ino worked on treating Chouji and Suichi, Naruto wandered over to a strange accessory decorating the odd living room. It looked like a massive tube surrounded by a velvet curtain. Why would there be a curtain inside a cave? He stared at it for several long moments with a sense of déjà vu. Something about it seemed…familiar.

He gripped one side of the curtain and hesitantly opened it. The sight on the other side made him blush, push the curtain closed once more, and turn around babbling something about a naked girl, not seeing, and some apologies.

Curiosity striking him, Neji approached Naruto and the unusual decoration. The blond tried to stop him, still babbling incoherently. When he drew the curtain, he was at once aghast and angry. He turned an icy glower towards Yumiko. The girl, like her sons, had ashen eyes.

When he turned his attention back to the pale girl, he was surprised to see her staring vehemently back at him. A voice spoke up in his head. Naruto, also hearing the voice, suddenly recognized her. "Are you going to gape at me all day? Either take me captive like you're thinking or kill me."

Several pairs of eyes fell on the eight year old girl. They were surprised someone so young would talk like that. Of the leaf nin, only Naruto and Hinata knew the truth. The young girl was actually older than any of them. The girl looked annoyed, but it wasn't because people could see her bare body.

Kanaeru approached and shooed Neji and Naruto away. She very simply replied to their questioning looks. "No peeking…" A smirk crossed her lips as she let the implication sink in. The boys had the decency to blush and turn away, and she felt enough amusement to giggle.

They rejoined Shino and Gayt. Neji was the first to speak. "Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee haven't returned yet. I doubt they'd still be fighting after so many hours, but it's still not safe to assume anything. We don't know their opponent's strengths." He paused. The main reason they hadn't gone immediately to look for their missing comrades was injury and lack of chakra. "Are you recovered enough to search?"

He was fully planning on joining them, and they nodded. They were confident the powerful shinobi were still alive, but they could be injured. There was also the possibility their opponent was still alive. If the strengths of their other adversaries was any indication, caution was the best policy.

* * *

The scene Shizune and her team arrived to was appalling. An elder shinobi lied dead and surrounded by Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee. Hana's eyes went wide as she rushed to her little brother and his canine companion. As neither she nor her own canine companion smelled anyone else nearby, she felt confident enough to administer immediate aid.

Sakura, Sayumi, and Yoshi were less confident. Sakura and Yoshi drew kunai while Sayumi drew needles between each finger. Shizune, however, quickly calmed their nerves. "If Hana was willing to move in like that, we're safe. Yoshi, you stay with her and help with treatment. Sakura and Sayumi, you're with me."

The young medics nodded and quickly fulfilled their objectives. Yoshi moved in to aid Tsume while Sakura and Sayumi fell into step with Shizune. Their mission had only just begun, and it looked like they had arrived just in time.

Hana turned to her help as she set Kiba's head on her lap and used her medical training to probe his condition. She indicated Lee. "You help that young pup. I'll handle this stupid pup and Akamaru. Be careful, it looks like they've been poisoned." It was the first thing she noticed. Their nails and lips were blue like there wasn't enough oxygen circulating.

Yoshi nodded and knelt beside Lee. He observed the same symptoms as his senior. With fluid movements, he molded his chakra, and a green hue covered his open hands. As he pressed his hands over the green-clad shinobi's heart, he frowned. "Hana-senpai, I can't sense any foreign substances in his body."

Hana frowned. She agreed with his analysis, but it didn't make any sense. Were they missing something? "Yeah, you're right. We'll administer aid to their physical injuries and wait for Shizune and Sakura to return. They have more experience with poisons." She ran her fingers through her brother's hair. _"Please be all right my otouto pup."_

_

* * *

_

Shizune, Sakura, and Sayumi stopped abruptly when they almost ran into Naruto, Neji, Shino, and Gayt. For a long three seconds, they were frozen where they stood as everyone soaked in the new information.

For the medics, it meant the group sent into Housekiyama was most likely safe. If the two groups teamed up, they had Ino to administer first aid to any injured. From the looks of things, they were rushing outside the cave to search for their missing comrades.

For the drained shinobi and kousotsu, it was a relief to see allies arrive as backup from Konoha. Neji was the first to break the silence with a question heavy on his and Tenten's teams' minds. "Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee… Are they okay?" He was familiar with Shizune and Sakura, but Sayumi was new. As such, he could only hope more arrived with them and were administering aid.

"Yes." They sighed a collective sigh of relief, except Gayt for his own reasons, as they all felt a burden lift from their shoulders. Shizune continued with her own question. "Where are the others? Are they further inside?"

Neji nodded. "Yes, Hinata-sama and Ino are still administering first aid." He paused. "Chouji seems to have received something similar to _Hakke_, so he's in the worst shape." Shizune and Sakura narrowed their eyes, and he knew they were worried about the plump young man.

They rushed back to the open space decorated like a living room. They didn't have time to take in the scene before Shizune was delivered orders. "Ino, Hinata, report the situation. Sakura, Sayumi, take over their patients." The response was immediate as the chunin followed orders.

Shizune noticed how exhausted Hinata looked, so she turned to Ino expecting answers. The young Yamanaka didn't disappoint. "Shizune-senpai, we started treatment almost two hours ago." She couldn't tell for sure because they were inside a cave and couldn't read the sun's position. "We have four, primary patients. Two are allies Suichi-san and Chouji."

Shizune looked over Ino's shoulders as the blond girl indicated them. Sakura was treating Chouji, and her scowl indicated how badly injured he was. Sayumi was treating obviously deep wounds on Suichi's shoulders. The Yamanaka continued. "The other two are enemies, Daikichi and Yumiko."

Again, Shizune analyzed the indicated persons. Daikichi held similar features to Suichi, likely a relative. He had a nasty wound to the gut, but it looked like he was stabilized. Yumiko, on the other hand, was impossible to read. Physically, she looked fine. "What are their conditions?"

Ino hesitated for a moment. She didn't know how to explain Yumiko, and she was still upset over how bad Chouji seemed. "Hinata treated Chouji after she found out some of his tenketsu were closed. She's administered necessary aid and juuken strikes. Suichi has several severed blood vessels and nerves going into his arms, and his shoulder joints are a shattered. I don't know if he'll ever be able to use his arms again."

Shizune looked to Sayumi again. She had an astounding level of chakra control, but she also had a certain gift with anatomy. Sakura was more experienced, but she was certain the tomboy could at least partially restore the Kumorigachi leader's arms. However, Chouji's condition explained Hinata's fatigue. She had to concentrate on expertly reopening tenketsu while healing physical injuries.

Ino continued even as Shizune internally noted and sorted the necessary information. "Daikichi was run through by Gayt's heavy blade. He's stable, but his chakra network is a mess. He can't mold chakra, but he was…doing something. I can't really explain it, but I don't think he'll be waking up any time soon."

Shizune was truly surprised by the information, even if she didn't show it. In a samurai family, members were never taught how to mold chakra. As with any living thing, they still produced chakra naturally. Was he trying something so dangerous without training? She was unaware the Kumorigachi were even capable of molding chakra.

Ino's next analysis held a hint of venom. "Yumiko used some jutsu to force more chakra into her body than it should have been able to handle. After Naruto used his _Rasengan_ to disable her, we found she was in a vegetative state. She's holding on for now, but we don't know if it'll last. Shino and Neji said something about drawing chakra away from vital life functions to have one, last shot at finishing us."

Shizune was alarmed by the news, but it wasn't anything new. Some shinobi got so caught up in their own egotism that they refused to lose. She figured the situation with Yumiko was no different. She probably refused to acknowledge defeat, so she used the last vestiges of her strength to take out her enemies.

One thing was bothering her, though. She looked to Naruto who was walking circles around the room. He was followed by a young girl who only wore a jacket over her frail frame. She pointed to the scene that started actually shortly after they entered the living room; she just didn't want to address it at first. "What's with that?"

Ino blinked and looked over. She almost forgot about the young girl, Rikka as they found her name to be. After Kanaeru wrapped a jacket over the small girl to cover her, she just seemed to follow Naruto around. She was harmless according to him and Hinata, so they left well enough alone. "I don't…really know…" She trailed off just as confused.

Hinata smiled and finally spoke up. "Oh, she just doesn't want to be left alone." If it were Naruto, her lack of stutter would have been a surprise. However, most of her comrades knew her confidence showed growth over the years, and she could often speak with nary a slip.

Shizune had to ask, though. "Who is the girl, then? Is she from Housekiyama?" She was certain she wasn't from Konoha. She was also curious about the ashen eyes. It seemed two other prisoners also had ashen eyes.

Hinata half-heartedly sighed. The answer probably wouldn't go over very well without a lot of explanation. "Well, she's Yumiko's daughter…" She was right.

"What?!" Shizune practically yelled into the young kunoichi's ears. Every conscious person looked at her, startled if allied or suspicious if not. She quickly pulled her for a private conversation. "Why is an enemy wandering freely?"

Sheepishly, Hinata scratched her cheek in a similar fashion to her crush. "Well…she's harmless." The look from the senior medic told her to elaborate. "She really doesn't have any techniques she can use on her own to attack us, and she's really curious about Naruto. Besides, Yumiko wanted Naruto and me alive for her own, dubious reasons."

Shizune sighed. "I'm getting a full report later, right?" Of course, she knew the 'full report' she'd hear would be as Tsunade's assistant, but she didn't care. She wanted the whole mess taken care of, and Hinata's confirming nod was enough for the moment.

She quickly set her face in seriousness and took command. "Ino, Hinata, assist Sakura and Sayumi or treat Daikichi. I'll look at Yumiko's condition. Dismissed." The medics set to their jobs as rapidly as they could. They wanted to be on their way back to Konoha within the hour, and they couldn't if they delayed.

* * *

Hana looked to the sun to calculate the time. They could make it back to Konoha before nightfall if they left soon. She was worried about the strange condition her little brother, his canine companion, and Lee were in. She and Yoshi finished treating the physical problems a while ago.

Shizune took the rest of the medical team inside the cave over half an hour prior. When she heard soft padding approaching the portal, she looked up to see everybody else she had been expecting to see exit with the other three members of the medical team. They had four prisoners, two unconscious. Oddly, there was a young, pale girl following Naruto like some lost puppy…and clutching her only cover tightly to her body.

Shizune was surprised to see Hana and Yoshi still attending to their patients. "I wasn't expecting you two to still be treating them… After seeing Chouji and Suichi's conditions, I was certain you'd come in to check on us." She noticed the blue tinge to their lips a moment after she spoke.

Hana sighed. She was hoping to be able to treat even one of them for the poison before the rest arrived, but it was her defeat. "Yoshi and I can't find any substance, but they act like they've been poisoned."

Shizune, Sakura, and Sayumi rushed the three, ailing shinobi. They were the experts on poison, so they knew they had to rush to action. They had no idea how long the three had been out, but they knew one thing. If they were still unconscious while physically fine, it was bad enough to keep them under.

Rikka grabbed Naruto's arm, not really caring that her jacket flapped open a little. It was Kanaeru who forced her to wear it. She stared down at her father's form while keeping her distance. When she finally spoke, she drew everybody's attention. "It's my otou-san's doing. It's chakra poisoning, a lot of it."

The medics looked up with differing expression. Yoshi was curious about whom the girl was, and he was intrigued about how she clung to a boy considered so dangerous. Hana growled fiercely believing the girl may want to finish her father's job. Sakura wondered just how many people Naruto would leave an impression on.

The poison users had different thoughts. Shizune and Sayumi were used to using their chakra to create poisons, but they had no experience with anything quite to the level Rikka was talking about. They couldn't detect _any_ substance, and they were unaware of any clan talents or kekkei genkai capable of such a feat. Of course, they were far from all-knowing.

Rikka decided to elaborate. "I'm sure otou-san saw his defeat as imminent, so he used his last-ditch attack. He expelled his built-up chakra poisoning to ensure his enemies went down with him." Again, stunned eyes locked on her. Only a few knew her true age.

Shizune recovered quickest. "Do you know how to treat it?" She held hope that _somebody_ would know the secret to saving Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee. Her expression was sullen with the response.

Rikka shook her head. "It eventually kills us as it builds in our bodies, and we Kagennotsuki consider it a natural death. He used a clan kinjutsu, and no records exist on it ever being treated."

Kagennotsuki was a clan name a few present were keenly aware of. Neji, like Hinata, was taught to be wary around them from a young age. Ino remembered her father's warnings when it came to dealing with them. The clan name also made Kanaeru, Shizune, Sakura, and Sayumi realize why it wasn't so easy to treat.

Shizune made a command decision. "We have to get back to Konoha, fast." She calculated the situation. Kiba, Akamaru, Lee, Daikichi, and Yumiko needed to be carried back. Rikka probably couldn't move very fast on her own, and she wasn't leaving Naruto's side any time soon. The rest were at least healthy enough to hurry back.

They weren't finished just yet, and they needed to get back to Konoha. She made a command decision. "Naruto, use your _Kage Bushin_ to help us move faster. You stay with Neji, Shino, Tenten, Kanaeru, and Gayt to escort the prisoners. The rest of us will rush ahead to Konoha with the patients.

* * *

Okay, Konohamaru officially laid the hurt! Who knew Naruto had such per...er...clever training methods? Sadly, it seems now Shizune's about to kick the bucket. Does Kishimoto hate his fans? Oh well, I got a few ideas and a few laughs. Who knew Pein's control network worked very similar to the kekkei genkai I dreamed up for the Kagennotsuki 'psychic' abilities, only without chakra transmitters and recievers.

If anybody can't tell, the chapter title is inspired by the saying, "It isn't over until the fat lady sings."

I'm a little late on this one because of finals. They may not have sneaked up on me, but they were more involved than I thought they would be. I'll be taking Christmas week off concerning this fan fiction, so I can rest a bit and finish a chapter for my _FMA_ fan fiction.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I'll 'see' you back January 11 with the next chapter!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,030  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Raiton: Raigusoku_ - _Lightning Element: Lightning Armor_: A high level technique, _Raigusoku_ charges the user's skin with electricity. It retaliates against any attack made to the user and is especially effective in deflecting _Hakke_ strikes and metallic weapons.

**Edition 2.0:** Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 have been edited to reflect a naming error brought to my attention. _Hana_ is the name of Kiba's sister, not Tsume who is his mother. Thanks.


	13. Chapter 12: Rogue Hyuuga

TimeShifter: The 'pulsing' in Naruto's soul will be resolved in the second arc. I had no intentions of revealing it in this arc, only foreshadowing it. Sasame is _a_ wrench (as in 'throw a wrench in the works' - sabotage). Well, maybe not so much sabotage as make things really difficult and interesting. I hate simplicity, and rushing relationship building is evil! I find it odd that few are ever restrained...and fewer properly. As for the rest of the questions, I think I'll leave them to this chapter to answer.

mouseter: No, don't fret! I sometimes need to be reminded about names. I thought during the 'Mad Akamaru Arc' that Kiba's sister was Tsume. I obviously hadn't researched properly, so I can only thank you for the correct information. I'll fix my mistakes later (as I haven't had as much time as I thought I would). Also, I pride myself on my ability to use cliffhangers.

jnr, samueltm2, and kyuubilord: Thank you all for the bode of confidence.

* * *

**Chapter 12:  
Rogue Hyuuga  
**

Ibiki gave Tsunade an incredulous look. "You expect me to interrogate…an eight year old?" He'd already looked at the mission report and couldn't quite grasp what he was being asked to do. Things were made more difficult by the fact that the young, pale-skinned girl was the most cooperative of the conscious group returned under guard.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. She really didn't think 'interrogate' was the right word. It sounded so…harsh. She knew 'question' or 'cross-examine' meant the same thing, but a professional interrogation by a professional interrogator usually meant…unpleasant things. "Listen, she's the most cooperative of our three conscious captives, and Anko's already got the boys."

He rolled his eyes at the implication. Of course Anko was taking care of the male captives. It was common procedure to use whatever means they could to extract information. Saiga and Basuto were more interested in her cleavage than her deranged mask. They remained ignorant of her skills, innate or otherwise, at information gathering. It would serve to humiliate them and weaken their resolve.

He still couldn't wrap his head around using his skills to draw information from a little girl. "Even still, she's got to be only old enough to… What?" He questioned himself mainly. What did eight year olds do? "…enter the academy or a civilian tertiary school?" He wasn't completely sure, but he thought eight was second or third year.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Quaternary, but that's beside the point." She really didn't want to get into a trivial discussion of the civilian school system. She sighed. "According to the mission report, she called herself Kagennotsuki Hyuuga Rikka. She can read minds and control genjutsu."

Ibiki scoffed. "She's also a disrespectful little brat." He recalled their first conversation. Her greeting was terse and simple. Apparently, she refused to say anything without Naruto present. "Didn't anybody ever teach her to move her mouth when she spoke even if she's mute?"

She could only agree as she groaned and closed her eyes. She'd only ever met one Kagennotsuki, but it was proper etiquette for those within the clan. When she opened her eyes, she gave her number one interrogator a look that brooked no room for questioning orders. "From what we've gathered so far, it's safe to assume she was raised with little or no respect for Konoha."

He nodded. "Yeah, I still don't like it." With a sigh, he turned to open the door housing their 'most cooperative' guest. He gave his superior a few final words over his shoulder before closing the door behind him. "It's what I'm paid for, anyway." Oh, he was _not_ going to enjoy this particular job.

Tsunade rubbed her temples as she turned around to head back above ground. "I need a stiff drink…" As she approached the top of the stairs, she felt some very distinct presences. Since she didn't feel any chakra spikes, she felt more agitation than worry. She knew exactly who was on the other side of the door.

As the door opened, she stood behind a wall of ANBU. The leader of the particular three man squad wore a bull mask. He was facing a serious looking Kanaeru, and his voice was stern. "We cannot allow you to see Hokage-sama at this time." He knew she was standing behind him, but he also knew she had an itinerary.

Tsunade sighed. "It's okay; I was somewhat expecting this." She felt his surprise as he turned to face her, but he only bowed and stepped out of the way. As she approached the red-headed kunoichi, she directed her towards a seat. "Come, sit, and tell me what's on your mind."

The humorless expression never left the normally flamboyant Kanaeru. As she sat, she practically tossed a book to her buxom companion. The ANBU barely restrained themselves from drawing their weapons, but she didn't give them a single glance. "I found _that_ in the room Naruto-kun was being held…while Hinata-chan and Ino-chan attended to our unconscious captives."

Tsunade wore a puzzled look at the accusatory words before she began thumbing through the book in her arms. Her expression grew serious. "How did Yumiko get her hands on this?! It's been missing…since…before…Madara betrayed the village…" Somehow, her words brought understanding to her own mind as her voice weakened to nearly a whisper.

Kanaeru sighed, relief evident in her eyes. "Judging from your reaction, I doubt Hashirama just gave the book away." She remembered the fight between Yumiko and Gayt. "The kinjutsu Yumiko used were gifts to the Senju to show we were not enemies despite not becoming part of Konoha."

Tsunade shook her head. "No, jii-san told me a valuable book went missing. I didn't know what he meant at the time, but I think I do now." She paused to look the young sumitsuki in the eyes. "He prayed that his friends would find it in their hearts to forgive him."

Kanaeru waved it off. "No big deal." A smirk adorned her face as she leaned back and crossed her legs comfortably. "More importantly, I want to hire." The buxom Hokage was stunned but nodded for her to continue. "I need a spy and a medic. I can handle combat on my own, but I need somebody with the lay of the land and ability to dig up information. The medic'll make sure we stay healthy if anything _does_ happen."

Nodding in consideration, Tsunade actually considered the idea a huge opportunity. She'd only tested a new addition to the village in the hospital, and she was forbidden from taking place in the rescue mission. _"I have no doubt Kanaeru and Gayt can keep tabs on Sasame, and I think it would be a good opportunity for Isaribi to contact her inherited spies again."_

She turned to her ANBU guard. "Bull, I want you to bring Isaribi to me immediately. I have a mission for her." He saluted and immediately flickered from sight. She turned to the gleeful expression in the red-headed kunoichi's eyes. "Follow me. I'll introduce you to your medic."

The remaining ANBU saluted and disappeared from sight. They returned to their silent, invisible vigil over their village's leader. The two kunoichi were soon on their way. It wasn't a long trip out of the Hokage tower, but they had a ways to go to get to the hospital. Neither was in a hurry, so they casually walked the streets.

Their arrival at the hospital was as surprising as the trip was uneventful. "Why did you do this to Makoto-chan?!" A protracted silence was highlighted by nurses running to the source of clamor. "What do you expect me to tell her?! What do you expect me to tell Suinji-kun?!"

Recognizing the voice, Tsunade's eyes went wide. She rushed to Daikichi's room to see two ANBU barring an irate Suichi from entering. She approached and skillfully applied chakra to a pressure point to make him unconscious. She sighed. "Is the younger Kumorigachi awake?"

The ANBU nodded as a nurse collected the samurai leader's unconscious form. One then spoke up. "The first thing he did was call out for 'Yumiko-okamisama' and 'Saiga-kun'. Kumorigachi-sama who was waiting outside became enraged." He recounted the events leading up to Suichi's outburst, and he sympathized for the leader. Bad blood between brothers always ended up in the worst, possible way.

Kanaeru stood back as Tsunade entered the guarded room. She was going to enjoy watching the coming events. The expert medic nin might not have been known for her ability to make somebody talk, but the slug sannin knew a thing or two about preparing or weakening mental states.

"Kumorigatchi Daikichi, am I correct?" The tension was palpable as the younger of the samurai brothers didn't bother responding. "Two wives, huh? You're a bit daring; aren't you?" Still, he showed no sign of responding. Tsunade continued. "You're no daimyo. What makes you think you could get away with something like that?"

She finally earned a response as the injured man sent her an icy glower. She wasn't quite done. She leaned against the edge of his bed, ire shining through her eyes. "I should let Suichi-san in here to rip you to shreds for what you did to Makoto and Suinji. You're a pig who couldn't even recognize his own, loving family."

She scoffed as she turned on her heels. As she reached the edge of the room, she fought back a smirk as her words had the desired effect. In a rage, Daikichi finally responded. "What do you know?! I never loved that woman, and she never loved me! It was an _arranged_ marriage! I always resented my nii-s…" He quickly corrected himself. "…Suichi because at least _he_ got to marry a woman he fell for!"

She caught the slip and narrowed her eyes. If he were under some sort of mind control, it wouldn't have allowed for such a slip and maintained the level of anger apparent in his voice. "That's your excuse?" She needed a bit more information. "That's your excuse for abandoning _your own flesh and blood_? That's rich, considering she already had two other husbands."

He faltered hearing her words. "H-How did you find out?" He was certain they'd only find out about Rikka's father. _"Takenaga died three years ago… Do they already know about Yumiko's involvement with that snake sannin?"_ His mind raced with the possibilities before his eyes shot up to meet hers when he heard her.

She cleared her throat to catch his attention. When she had it, she continued. "When you're well enough, you'll wish Gayt had killed you back in Housekiyama." She paused to let the implication sink in. "I haven't decided if Ibiki or Anko should deal with you. They both hate your kind." She again paused to revel in his nervous expression. "You're also very popular among family men right now, like Inoichi."

The last bit did it. Daikichi lurched forward, recognizing all three names. He was pale, as if he'd just met the shinigami. If the best interrogators in Konoha were _fighting_ over the chance to crack him, he knew he was better off running through the Inuzuka compound…naked after covering himself in raw meat.

Tsunade left, satisfied. She didn't like his kind. From what she could tell, he was exactly the same as Yumiko. They were only interested in power. She also learned a lot from their child, Saiga. He was a natural Hyouton user. The samurai of the Kumorigachi forsook chakra training long ago, yet the held a powerful kekkei genkai.

She was startled when Kanaeru appeared in her faced with a feral grin. "Oh, you made me wanna kill 'im!" She was almost giddy at the prospect, in fact. The childish expression vanished almost instantly when a new chakra signature appeared, two to be precise.

Tsunade and Kanaeru turned to observe the bull masked ANBU escorting a young, heavily bandaged girl. Kanaeru quickly observed her. If she recalled correctly, she was called Isaribi by Jiraiya's notes. Naruto rescued her indirectly from Orochimaru on a mission lead by Anko and accompanied by Shino and Ino.

Apparently, the genetically altered girl also somehow inherited his spy network. He was very vague on the point, but he only praised her skills. Kanaeru wondered about the girl as she reviewed what information she had and barely listened to Tsunade introduce the two to each other.

When the bull masked ANBU departed, Tsunade lead Kanaeru and Isaribi to the final member of their small team. The slug sannin didn't know the exact mission details, but she trusted the red-headed kunoichi enough to entrust the safety of her shinobi to her. As they entered another hospital room, they were greeted by orange pigtails carefully attending to three poison victims.

Sasame looked up and smiled when she saw Tsunade. "Ah Hokage-sama, it's a pleasure as always." She politely bowed her head before returning her attention to a pale-faced Kiba. She was monitoring his vitals as she fed valuable chakra through her threads attached to his body.

Tsunade nodded in return. "Any progress examining the poison?" She was almost surprised to see a bright smile and affirmative nod. Even _she_ had trouble isolating the lethal chakra. Of course, she hadn't the time to observe her ailing shinobi.

Sakura was busy aiding Shizune with their hardest case, Yumiko. Ino was treating Chouji. Sayumi and Yoshi were called to an emergency operation. Tsunade honestly hadn't expected such expedient progress from Sasame. She often had to remind herself how powerful the Fuuma clan medical techniques actually were.

Sasame returned her attention to Kiba as she related her findings. "It was very tricky to track down. It's no wonder Shizune-senpai and the others couldn't find it upon initial examination. It's a small wonder _I_ found it." She paused as she adjusted her fingers, so they wouldn't go numb.

"The poison is _literally_ chakra." She resisted giggling at the incredulous expressions she received. "I know; it seemed impossible to me at first, too. It's probably a little known fact about the Kagennotsuki kekkei genkai. There is no cure, _for them_, because their body naturally produces it."

She took in a deep breath and rubbed her sweaty cheek against her shoulder. "Whatever jutsu was used against them…" She indicated Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee. "…forced the toxic chakra into their systems. It immediately latched onto their nerves." She sent the medic leader a confident smile. "It's a neurotoxin I'm confident I can extract!"

Kanaeru stood next to the girl and patted her shoulder. With a wide grin, she looked directly at the buxom blond. "Oh, she'll do nicely!" At the confused looks she received, she shrugged. "What? You were going to assign her to the mission anyway." Her grin only widened at their reactions.

Sasame honestly didn't know what was going on. She was in the middle of treating three valuable shinobi. She didn't know why, exactly, but she chose to work on Kiba first. His immune system proved to be exactly what she needed to help find the cause to their collective conditions.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes dangerously. It wasn't farfetched to believe Kanaeru guessed through implication. Still, it was possible that she might have changed her mind after hearing news concerning the chakra poison. She decided to let it slide for the moment. "Yes, Isaribi and Sasame will accompany you. I expect a mission detail on my desk in the morning."

Kanaeru giggled. "Oh, it's nothing that serious. I just need an escort to take me around Fire. I want to learn more about this country. Since Naruto-kun's going off to train, I just want something to do." She had no reason to hide anything, and she was completely honest.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She was second guessing her decision to pick Isaribi and Sasame for a mission which amounted to little more than babysitting. Well, it was sightseeing to be precise. Kanaeru could handle herself, and Gayt was overkill. At worst, it was an extended C-rank mission.

As if sensing her thoughts, Kanaeru spoke up. "I'll pay for a month-long C-rank upfront, and I'll top it off to a B-rank upon return. I don't expect to take more than a month, and, as unlikely as it sounds, I'd like to be prepared for possible missing nin attacks." She wasn't concerned about regular shinobi encounters.

Tsunade had to admit; the pay more than compensated for sending a fine medic and excellent spy on a prolonged mission. She knew the red-head could be trusted, but she still wondered about the C-rank, borderline D-rank, mission request. "Very well, but I still expect a full mission detail on my desk by morning.

* * *

Inoichi looked at his friends with a wide grin. Shikaku looked disinterested. Chouja looked dejected. They were at the gate when the three teams arrived. The first group alarmed them, but the second group truly stunned them.

The medical team arrived first. With them, Hinata and Ino were perfectly fine, if a little exhausted. Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee were unconscious and pale. Their trained eyes noticed their blue lips and nails, poison. Besides them, only two other people were on stretchers, and they didn't recognize them. Chouji and a samurai were being helped into the village by Naruto _Kage Bushin_.

The prison escort team arrived around ten minutes later. Naruto held a girl who seemed embarrassed that she couldn't make it the entire way with her frail body. More of his _Kage Bushin_ surrounded Neji, Shino, Tenten, Kanaeru, and Gayt and two bound and _very_ much alive captives.

"Well, it looks like I win _this one_ two to one!" He was excited at the prospect. Oh sure, it wasn't a clean sweep, but he managed to pull a victory. A victory was all that mattered.

Shikaku decided to review the exact bets. "Though you only said 'probably' related to Chouji, you still entered him in the bet. He needed help, but he wasn't on a stretcher." He paused to observe his blond friend's reaction.

Inoichi grumbled for a moment. He hadn't expected that detail to bit him. "Draw…" He hated to admit what he saw as an assured victory was taken from him.

Shikaku scratched his neck lazily as he looked at the clouds. "You said 'at least one' of 'em would kick the bucket, so you take that one." He saw his blond friend almost dance. "With how exhausted they were, we had to carry everybody to triage."

Chouja's expression only grew worse, but he attempted to smile and make a joke. "Ah, you didn't say 'troublesome' once, Shika." It was weak, and he knew it.

His friends patted his shoulder with somber looks. He held hope that they forgot the promise made with any bet. That hope died with their unanimous words. "Loser buys drinks."

Though they were worried about the injured and especially Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee, they were confident in the medical abilities of those treating them. In the meantime, Shikaku and Inoichi decided to plan where they would get wasted, and Chouja dreaded the night. He cursed his luck and wondered why even one prisoner couldn't have chosen an opportune time to resist.

* * *

Ibiki and Rikka were in the middle of the longest staring contest in history. It wasn't a staring contest where the loser was the one who blinked first. It was a staring contest where the loser was the one who spoke first. Ibiki was a master interrogator, and Rikka had no useable vocal cords. It would seem the victor was already decided.

"You view him differently than I thought." The sudden sentence from the pale-skinned girl surprised him. She narrowed her eyes to show her disdain, and she continued to talk without moving her lips. "Wherever he walks, I sense the hatred he has to put up with."

It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was talking about. "Naruto's unique, and he's caught my attention on more than one occasion." He found it odd how he slipped into standard interrogation techniques. It wasn't all about torture, intimidation, or humiliation. Sometimes, it was more about relating on a common thread.

She nodded. "He impressed you when he took the test you proctored. He impressed you when he helped repel Shukaku." She eyed him carefully. "You find it harmful to prejudge anybody. You consider his treatment inhumane and have reveled in giving the more audacious their just rewards."

He almost felt a cold sweat for the first time in years. _Nobody _had ever read him so accurately. He attributed it to her kekkei genkai; though, he was certain Inoichi had helped him train a mental block. He was about to speak up when she interrupted.

"As skilled as you are, you can't hide your _active_ thoughts. If I fought through your defenses, I might dredge up memories." She shrugged when he simply raised an eyebrow and was glad she wasn't trying to break him. He was _extremely_ resolute. "I merely impressed you to think about Naruto to determine if I should talk to you."

He hated to admit it, but she probably won the exchange despite 'breaking' and speaking first. He leaned forward and rested his chin on tented hands. "Now that you've played your little game, will you talk?"

Rikka nodded, but she wasn't going to actually let Ibiki speak. She could read his thoughts faster than he could speak them, and she was skilled at pressing answers through even the thickest mental blocks. Besides, he had nothing on that Yamanaka who broke her father's genjutsu.

"The reason I was with Naruto is because okaa-sama said he would be my otou-sama." She paused to listen to his mental chuckle. "As funny as you think that is, she was serious. With Kyuubi no Kitsune under our control, she could finally take her revenge on Konoha and destroy the shinobi world."

She rolled her eyes. Of course he would think it a mad goal. "Of my family, I spent the most time around Naruto. While in his mind thanks to otou-san's genjutsu, I was able to explore much of his memories. While he holds some resentment for how Konoha treated him, he had enough light to resist my barrage."

Ibiki made to ask a question, but Rikka quickly answered. She didn't sound hasty, however. "I was amazed that I couldn't break him. He shows much mental frailty, but he holds tightly to his precious people. We had hoped to turn him to our side." She paused. "Oh, and Hinata too, although breaking her seemed as easy as letting her become depressed and follow Naruto like a lost puppy."

He almost sighed as he wondered if she was right. It was obvious the shy Hyuuga heiress had a crush on the boy. It was apparent to him during the exam he proctored where she tried to, rather openly, share her test answers with him. It was one reason he was impressed with the boy. He rejected the offer…and remained oblivious to her affections.

"I was actually surprised." He was thrown from his musings as the frail-looking girl continued. "He had more acceptance than I was led to believe. It made me question, for the first time, okaa-sama." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't even go there! I'm older than your precious 'Hokage-sama'!" Despite herself, she couldn't help her belligerent tone when mentioning the position.

Ibiki held up a hand and hoped she let him speak. When she remained silent, he took that as his cue. "You expect me to believe that you're…fifty-odd years old?" He found it hard to believe and impossible to wrap his mind around.

Rikka scoffed. "Does it look like I'm joking?" He had to admit; she looked serious and sounded much more mature than her age indicated. "Okaa-sama wanted to keep my psychic abilities at their strongest, so she always found me a new body on my seventeenth birthday."

She felt his inability to imagine how she experienced multiple 'seventeenth' birthdays and rolled her eyes. She didn't care to explain, and he had other questions roaming his mind. "Yes, okaa-sama expected me to break Naruto and Hinata. The details aren't really important. I would have changed my methods as they resisted and as I found cracks in their mental state."

She looked in the direction she felt her half-brothers. "Basuto-oniisan and Saiga-kun are better suited to combat, so they weren't involved. Though, Saiga-kun did shake Hinata a bit when he asked okaa-sama for her, and he probably shocked Naruto with his powerful Hyouton. Basuto-oniisan never met either."

Ibiki took a moment of silence to interject his thoughts aloud for once. "You're being awfully forthright. Is there a reason you're so talkative? Though I never imagined you were fifty-some, I still never expected so much information so quickly."

Rikka merely shrugged. "Okaa-sama's plan failed, and she's dying because of it. Otou-san's dead, and I have no real chance of escaping alive." She eyed the expert interrogator in the eyes, something few were capable of. "I've grown to respect Naruto, and I'm curious to see how far his vision goes."

"You think we'll let you live after such treason?" He was surprised to speak his mind so freely. He was certain she'd have interrupted him again. "Even if he vouches for you, you helped in the execution of a plan to set Konoha against Kumo in all-out war." He found her unflinching demeanor somewhat unnerving, maybe proving her age all the more.

"_I_ couldn't leave the tube I've lived in most of my life. I coordinated things so the jutsu used to capture Hinata went off without a hitch, but I never left Housekiyama. I can link minds and control genjutsu, but I'm defenseless otherwise. I don't expect to live freely, but I do believe my cooperation ensures I can live and observe just what Naruto sees in this forsaken village."

He didn't quite know what to make of her odd rant. Really, she mostly turned the supposed interrogation into a monologue. She seemed to have a seething hatred for Konoha, but he felt as if she was beginning to question that very hatred. He considered her for a moment before deciding on his next course. "Tell me what happened in the genjutsu."

She almost rolled her eyes. What was he expecting to gleam from that failed experiment? She decided to oblige his curiosity. She related her entire experience within the genjutsu. She didn't even bother covering up meeting Kyuubi, even how scared she felt. By the end, she felt her eyebrow twitching from his incessant mental questions. Sure, she knew he was trying to make an ordered list, but it annoyed her.

As she sorted through his questions to determine the best place to start, Ibiki decided to ask one instead. "How did the Kyuubi enter the genjutsu?" He was worried about the seal holding the powerful bijuu in. To the best of his knowledge, only a Sharingan should have been able to see through the seal to the Kyuubi.

Rikka actually found herself interested in the question and train of thought. She sorted through her memories, specifically of meeting him and how he behaved. "He wore a choker as he wandered around, and he didn't seem to be able to do much." She paused to collect her thoughts.

With a sharp intake of breath, she realized something else. "Wait, he said he couldn't take control of Naruto's body, but I found that odd." She heard his mental questions clearly. "No, he didn't explain what he meant." She groaned. "He also never explained where he wandered off to…"

Ibiki nodded. The girl didn't seem like she was lying, and he prided himself on reading a person…even if he wasn't psychic. He observed her for a moment. She seemed to be sorting through things, but he only had a few questions he actually wanted answered. He found it interesting that a mind overflowing with questions actually gave her more pause than barring access to one.

He leaned forward. Of all the questions he had, one interested him the most. "You know; that brat's never been good with genjutsu. He just can't handle 'em. I can understand why even Inoichi's help couldn't help him break free, but why was he suddenly able to break free near the end?"

Rikka actually blushed a little and looked down. "To tell the truth, I was a little distracted." She eyed him carefully as she regained her composure. "Really, I needed both Naruto and Hinata in the genjutsu for okaa-sama's plan to work. I felt my mission was over; it failed."

He couldn't argue her reasoning. It was sound enough. He was more surprised at how talkative she was. He looked up to the monitoring camera and was glad for its presence. He really didn't have time to take all the notes he wanted. It was the first time he'd ever had such an easy time getting answers for all his relevant questions. He was about to get up when he heard the frail girl speak.

Lips still unmoving, she looked at him seriously. "Now that I've answered your questions, you'll let me see Naruto?" She seemed genuinely interested, but her expression became downcast when she heard his thoughts. "Of course, _she'd_ have to make that decision." Her resentment towards Tsunade was apparent; though, he guessed she didn't particularly care for _any_ Hokage.

Though tempted to leave since he had his answers, he decided to stay and talk with the girl. At the very least, he might learn some more about her history. She was in no mood to talk to him without a promise to see Naruto, possibly even Hinata. She was stubborn like a child which he found odd. Her mental age seemed to contradict itself from time to time.

* * *

Neji startled Naruto by pulling him aside to talk directly after Chouji and Suichi's safety was ensured. It was shortly before Tsunade arrived with Kanaeru and a familiar looking girl, but he was curious what the young jonin wanted to talk to him about. He felt frustration build in him as they walked the streets, no solid destination seemingly in sight.

When Neji suddenly stopped at a familiar sweets shop, Naruto eyed him suspiciously. The older Hyuuga merely walked in and directed him to follow. With a shrug, he decided he might as well. As they sat, a waiter delivered tea to their table and took their orders.

After several minutes of a staring contest, Neji spoke up. "Naruto tell me; were you locked up in the same room as Hinata-sama?" He almost chuckled at his timing as his companion nearly spit his tea through his nose.

Wiping the moisture from his nostrils and lips, Naruto was actually speechless. As his mouth imitated a fish, he tried to gather his thoughts. After a moment, he raised an eyebrow and wondered just how serious that stoic expression was. "Honestly, I don't know. I woke up…" He blushed and looked down. "…when Hinata helped me out of that genjutsu."

Oh, sometimes Neji loved his kekkei genkai. His Byakugan might not have been as 'all seeing' as he once thought it was, but it rarely missed details in human expression. "What happened between you and Hinata-sama?" His expression darkened slightly when the blond genin actually _fidgeted_.

Naruto mumbled some incoherent words as he tried to come up with an explanation. His cheeks actually felt like they were burning, but he couldn't explain what he was feeling. He knew one of the Hyuuga would kill him if he revealed that he kissed, accidental or not, Hinata. She was their _heiress_ for crying out loud! He felt lucky to consider her a friend, a good one at that.

Neji resisted the urge to smirk. He knew nothing inappropriate happened. He learned a lot from simply watching the two from the moment they left the room together to the time they parted ways in the hospital. He decided upon a prank surprisingly quickly. "I take it then you've kissed." The statement bordered on a question.

Naruto's eyes went wide and he blurted out in self defense. "It was an accident!" He liked her; he really did. He just didn't want a juuken strike to the heart or brain. He liked her differently from Sakura, who felt more like Ayame after all the years which have passed. He liked her differently from Ino or Tenten, who he was surprised to have gotten close to.

Neji solemnly bowed his head. "That is most unfortunate. Hinata-sama has many suitors, and I'm sure they'd be most disappointed in the news." He couldn't help but notice the pain flash through the hyperactive blonde's eyes at the mention of suitors. "I must inform Hiashi-sama of the marriage proposal immediately."

Naruto gave him an incredulous look. "What do you mean 'marriage proposal'?" He actually felt a cold sweat. Did he miss something? He had the sneaking suspicion that the straight-faced young man sitting across from him was stating that…Naruto engaged himself to Hinata.

Neji was almost surprised at the recognition in the genin's eyes. After all, he remained completely oblivious to a certain daimyo sponsor's marriage proposal to him when he answered in the affirmative. "Of course, I mean the engagement between you and Hinata-sama. I'm not sure how well it will be taken, but you were the first to 'steal' a kiss from the next head of the clan."

Naruto paled. He already told Rikka he wasn't ready to be married and have children! Sure, he knew a lot of people settle down early. They were mostly important people, like daimyo or clan heirs! They were _expected_ to carry on the legacy they held. He had no legacy!

He was drawn out of his musings when he heard something he never thought he'd hear. Neji snorted. He obviously tried to hold back a chuckle only for it to become caught in his throat and exit rather loudly. The hyperactive blond just stared dumbly at the scene. The number one prankster in the village had just been tricked so easily…

* * *

Kanaeru accompanied Tsunade to Yumiko's room. The room was dark and covered in seals. It was also heavily guarded. They really weren't taken any chances, even if she was in a vegetative state. Kanaeru looked on uncaring as Tsunade entered the room to talk with Shizune and Sakura.

Tsunade picked up the medical file and thumbed through it. All indications were Yumiko would never recover. With a frown, she turned to her assistant. "Report."

Shizune immediately left her work and bowed before the slug sannin. "Tsunade-sama, it doesn't look good. As we suspected, she has sever damage to her chakra coils where the _Fuuton: Rasengan_ struck. However…" She paused, not knowing quite how to interpret her findings. "…it almost looks like most of the damage was caused when her own chakra nature fought against Naruto's."

Tsunade frowned. "You mean her Raiton tried to fight back, and it had the opposite effect. Instead of protecting her, it reflected back and caused more damage." She appraised the comatose woman for a moment. "She's the worst possible matchup for Naruto. She's filled with hatred and has an affinity for Raiton."

Sakura drew the parallels instantly. Though it hurt, she refrained from speaking up. Sasuke was valuable to both Naruto and her. He just…was so bent on avenging his clan. In fact, he'd succeeded and still hadn't returned. Sadly, she continued her duty, trying to repair the damage done…mostly by Yumiko herself.

Shizune continued after nodding. "Yes, but that's not the reason I'm surprised she's alive. According to Kanaeru, she used a kinjutsu to convert vital chakra into moldable chakra. Shino and Neji gave reports to support this."

Tsunade heaved a sigh. There was no time like the present. She walked over to the woman her precious shinobi fought tooth and nail to capture and molded her chakra. She quickly diagnosed her patient and came to the same conclusion. Hyuuga Yumiko should, for all intents and purposes, be dead.

"Um…" Sakura spoke up carefully, and both other medics turned their attention to her. She was not one to shyly speak up, and her voice quickly regained her usual confidence. "Though she converted vital chakra, she actually managed to leave some parts alone. To me, it looks like she didn't care about the body and only preserving her self being."

With a grim expression, Tsunade nodded. "That's what I'd conclude. She probably expected to somehow pull out a last-ditch victory and transfer to another body." She almost flinched at the sudden gasps her apprentices loosed. She wasn't sure she could explain it, but she knew they were already associating Yumiko with the snake sannin.

"Hey, Tsunade!" The three medics turned to Kanaeru's sudden outburst. "I won't need the mission hires until late tomorrow afternoon, so I'm going on to get some rest and write up the mission detail. Later!" With that, she flickered from sight faster than any could object.

Tsunade just sighed. She had duties to attend to, anyway. Worse, they were as Hokage and not a medic. She wanted to stick around and ensure the treatment of her precious shinobi went well, but she had a village to run. Besides, she trusted her medics. After excusing herself, she left the hospital. Work resumed as usual.

She wasn't surprised when she passed Kakashi on the way to the Hokage tower. In fact, she motioned for him to follow her. She decided to make small talk on the way to her office. "How'd the mission go?"

Kakashi shrugged lethargically. "As well as could be expected, I suppose." He knew better than to speak out in the hallways. He was waiting to enter the office, and he was careful to contain his barely bottled rage.

"How's Shion-hime doing?" Honestly, she was surprised he'd returned so quickly. She was certain the urgent summons meant something, and she'd even assigned it as an S-ranked mission.

He sighed. "She was actually displeased to see me." He paused to open the office door and allow Tsunade to enter first. "She was more interested in seeing Naruto-kun." He _almost_ chuckled at the memory.

She walked across her office quickly and took her seat, fully prepared for what was coming next. "Shion-hime has been infatuated ever since she met Naruto. How many hime has it been now? …three? …four?" She was only stalling the inevitable.

"Why didn't you call me back as soon as it happened?" His tone was actually harsh as his sharp gaze fell on his superior and leader. He knew a fast messenger bird could make it to Demons in a matter of hours, and he was confident he could have gotten back quickly enough to help.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples. "A _lot_ has been going on." She was glad he remained silent; though, he still seemed to press her for more information. "Sasuke attacked Kumo, and they're sending a delegate to discuss a message sent ahead. I actually felt killer intent from Hiashi. Naruto and Hinata were blushing around each other…"

She almost smiled as the last comment caught Kakashi's attention. "Oh? What, pray tell, happened there?" He almost, _almost_ sounded like a giddy schoolchild. He was no gossiper, but he was always interested in his students and accomplices. Plus, anything about Naruto was of keen interest.

She smirked. "I don't know the details, but Neji's mission report seems to indicate that they were seen exiting the same room, blushing and fumbling for words around each other, and hard pressed to meet each other's eyes."

He chuckled as his eye folded to indicate his wide smile. "If anything _did_ happen between them, it was purely accidental." Then he felt his mood fall. Of all the interesting things to discuss, he wanted to stay on the subject of Naruto and Hinata a bit longer. However, he had pressing business. He slid a scroll onto her desk.

Tsunade looked at it for a moment before picking it up and unfurling it. As she read it, her brow knitted further into confusion. At the end, her mouth was agape. Not lifting her eyes from the words, she had to ask. "Why couldn't you fulfill this mission while you were _in_ Demons?"

Kakashi sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Well, Shion-hime specifically requested Naruto or 'that Hyuuga' escort her back. To be honest, I suggested I go ahead and fulfill the mission, as you just stated. She wanted to hear nothing of it."

She desperately wanted to find a cure for migraines. They managed to find her when it was most inconvenient. "Unfortunately, Naruto has a training mission, and Neji, who I assume is 'that Hyuuga', already has a mission." She looked at the stack of mission teams and sighed. "I suppose I can placate her with another Hyuuga…"

He felt a cold sweat. "You don't mean…" He fell silent when she snapped her fingers and a bull masked ANBU speared. "You wouldn't…" She instructed 'Bull' who to escort to her office for a mission. "You did…" He chuckled mirthlessly as he wondered if the coming events would be entertaining or brutal.

* * *

It was a special night out, and Hinata knew it. She pushed any thoughts of the past few days' events out of her mind and a coming mission. She was having a night out with the girls. She only hoped she wasn't hit on by boys she had no interest in.

She was decked out in the dress the rest of the girls picked out on their last trip out, during that weird genjutsu attack. It felt odd to remember going to a civilian school in a dream that felt so…real. She shook her head of those thoughts. She wanted Naruto to see her in the dress. If her peers' reactions were any indication, she would reel him in.

She sighed. Such things were simply not meant to be. She hurried past her father on her way out, giving him a farewell. He wished her a good evening and almost rolled his eyes when what Neji said earlier came back to him. Did they _really_ have to make things so complicated?

Hinata arrived at the club, if she recalled the term correctly, several minutes before she was scheduled to meet the others. She knew Sakura would be early. She felt Tenten would be on time, but Ino would likely rush. She was surprised to find the opposite was true.

Ino was very early, and she wore a glamorous, purple dress with a slit the Hyuuga heiress felt ran too high. Her dress also didn't appear to have a back to speak of, and it did everything to show off her cleavage. Oddly, it made Hinata wrap her arms around her chest, wondering why she was even there.

Tenten was next to arrive, and, to the shy girl's immense relief, she was dressed far more conservatively. Her beige dress had short, slanted sleeves gently draped across her shoulders. It was short, coming to just below her knees, but it effectively showed off her calves with agreeable high heels.

She heard Sakura before she saw her. She ran to make it just in the nick of time. To her wonderment, she wore a seafoam green dress to highlight her pink tresses. Her dress was also somewhere between Ino's and Tenten's. There were no shoulders, but there was…part of a back. It was also longer than Tenten's but shorter than Ino's.

Though reluctant, Hinata let her peers drag her into the club. They were quickly accepted. Until they entered, she had no idea the club was exclusively reserved for shinobi. She felt more at peace with that tidbit of information.

She was surprised to see Tenten disappear as soon as they entered, but Sakura and Ino dragged her away to dance. She found herself swept away by the music surprisingly easily.

From time to time, she would scan the crowd for familiar faces. She was surprised to see Shikamaru lazing around the punch bowl. Was he talking to Temari? She smiled seeing Tenten engaged in a casual conversation. She didn't know if either pair could be considered a couple, but she could see couples all around.

Suddenly, the lighting changed and she lost track of Neji and Shikamaru. Tenten and Temari were heading towards Sakura, Ino, and her. She looked around to see if she could find out where they disappeared to, and she missed a silent exchange between the two approaching and the two with her.

A fast, upbeat song pounded through the crowd, and Hinata was unknowingly led towards the center. She didn't realize it until it was too late, but an ambush was set up. In the center, Naruto was in the middle of some crazy dance step with Lee, obviously the older chunin initiated it.

However, he froze immediately upon seeing Hinata, and she did much the same. The world faded around them as they just stared at each other, neither knowing quite what to say. They felt their friends nudging them towards each other. They even heard a few words or encouragement, or whistles in Kiba's case.

Of all things to happen, a slow song started. There was no escape. They were trapped by their so called friends. Naruto grumbled about traitors, and Hinata was too embarrassed to look at him. With a smile, he saw no harm really. "Hey Hinata, wanna dance?"

Her world exploded at his words. With shock filled eyes, she tentatively reached out to take his hand. She gasped when he reached his arm around her waist, but she reciprocated by gingerly cupping her hand over his shoulder. Her breath caught as she admired him.

His breath caught as he admired her, and he tried to distract her by leading into the dance. She didn't notice as she was distracted by her own musings. He wasn't good at slow dances, but she was kind and patient. She even demonstrated the proper steps which he quickly adapted to.

They quickly forgot their initial shock and embarrassment. They danced together for a few more dances the evening, but they also danced with their friends. Naruto still didn't understand what exactly his feelings were for Hinata, but he was definitely fond of her. He liked dancing with her, although he had nothing to compare it to.

Hinata was on cloud nine. She couldn't believe it. She danced with her crush. She _danced_ with Naruto! She could die that instant and be happy. After another dance with him, she returned to dancing with her friends only to notice her cousin pull her crush to the side. She couldn't help but notice her teammates follow after.

Out of his cousin's earshot, Neji looked seriously at Naruto. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Naruto didn't know what to make of the question. "Yes…"

Kiba roughly patted him on the back. "You don't sound so sure of yourself. Are you enjoying yourself or aren't you?" His tone threatened retribution for the incorrect answer.

"Of course I am!" Naruto caught himself as he nearly shouted. "I'm with my friends." He didn't mention that his moments with Hinata were among the most enjoyable.

Shino nodded. "We're pleased to hear that." He shifted his gaze to Kiba, something only his teammates would pick up on easily.

Kiba chuckled. "Oh yeah? Anyone in particular you enjoying spending time with more?"

Naruto blushed and tried to hide his burning cheeks. Was he _that_ obvious? After having their fun, they returned to finish the night out. He got to explain that he was leaving early in the morning. He hoped he would get to see them, but he knew several of them had missions or other responsibilities.

* * *

Naruto looked around at the gathered crowd. He was surprised to only see Tsunade, Kanaeru, Gayt, the light fleck Star, and his team to with him a safe voyage. He bowed his head dejected before he looked back up with a bright smile. He knew he was going to be gone for a while, so he enthusiastically welcomed their fond wishes.

After he disappeared in a plume of smoke followed by the sagely toad, Kanaeru turned to Tsunade with a scroll. "I hope to see Isaribi and Sasame ready in six hours. That should give them enough time to get ready and have lunch." It was still early morning, and she was only too happy to see her beloved nephew off.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and shook her head at the hopelessness of it all. First, she couldn't even give Naruto the farewell she originally planned. Next, she had so many missions for the village it practically kept her most skilled shinobi out of the village at all times. Finally, some were enraged to return only to find out a mission occurred with out them. She couldn't live without them, but sometimes she thought she could.

* * *

Hinata frowned as she recalled what happened after a bull masked ANBU appeared before her at the hospital. She was summoned to Tsunade's office, so she knew it was important. She never expected to be ordered to leave on a mission the very day after she was successfully rescued from the second kidnapping attempt in her life.

She even had to miss seeing Naruto off! She could only hope the mission for a daimyo didn't turn abysmal. She remembered her crush going on about his mission to Demons. She never expected to visit there herself, especially not on an A-ranked solo mission. She accepted things for what they were and rushed off. She only hoped she was present for the blonde's homecoming.

* * *

Ah, a true resolution chapter... You might think I'm doing this mainly to answer questions and stall for time... Maybe you're right. Anyway, a lot of the questions needed to be answered, and I couldn't see a better way than Ibiki thinking himself thrown into a controversial interrogation. Besides, he's...a bit calmer than Anko (and I love to imagine Basuto and Saiga completely and utterly whipped).

Interestingly, I had most of the interrogation written before I started working on the chapter. It saw a lot of rewrites, and I couldn't decide on a lot of details. I'm pretty sure I answered all the questions, but I know I left some open still (the pulsing deep in Naruto's soul for example).

The club was pure fan service, and you guys know it! Enjoy!

The second arc of _The Path We Walk_ starts in two weeks! It looks like some interesting missions are occurring while Naruto's out training. How will his training in senjutsu go? Will Hinata and Shion get along? Why does Kanaeru want Isaribi and Sasame to escort her around Fire? I love cliffhangers! No really, I do...

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,132  
Story Page Count: 18

**Terms and Jutsu:**

none...


	14. Omake 1

Omake 1

Gaara, sitting next to Matsuri, fidgeted in front of the camera as he adjusted the microphone. "Is this thing on? Oh, we're live?" He paused to clear his throat. "Welcome to the first ever, apologetic 'author-san is late' omake." He carefully leaned closer to Matsuri and whispered. "We're allowed to say that, right?"

She smiled and delivered a peck to his cheek. "Of course, dear. Now onto the audience questionnaire!" She almost had a song in her voice. "The ever inquisitive audience would like to know why author-san is late _this _time."

Gaara looked apathetically to the camera. "Does he want me to kill them?"

Matsuri looked alarmed. "Of course he doesn't! He just wants to answer the audience and alleviate their fears!"

"I don't understand." Gaara took a deep breath. "Well, author-san wanted to choke his artificial intelligence sensei, as did the rest of his fellow classmates."

Matsuri chuckled nervously as she felt a cold sweat. "Please dear, tune down the violence." She giggled genuinely. "Just because Shoka-baka was a bit of a challenge, huh?"

Gaara grumbled something under his breath. "Weren't there more reader concerns?"

Matsuri perked up. "Of course, there are always unanswered questions! However, author-san doesn't want to divulge too much. We're here to give our _objective_ opinions and maybe have a few guests."

Without even looking to the side, Gaara introduced the silhouette standing next to him. "We'll let Neji answer the first question."

Matsuri cleared her throat as she unsealed and envelope and read the contents of the included letter. "What's going to happen to the five captives? They _did_ threaten Konoha with war, fixating the blame on Kumo."

Neji stared blankly at the camera. "This is a complete waste of time. For threatening Hinata-sama, at least Yumiko and Saiga should be executed. Since Yumiko's already dying, that leaves Saiga. I'm sure Kumo would help us as he spat upon one of their hitai-ate."

"Well, um…" Matsuri wasn't sure how to respond before snapping her fingers. A long, hooked cane extended and extracted Neji from the scene. "Yes, well, I'm not sure author-san wanted the audience to know about the spittle on the cloud hitai-ate…"

Gaara nearly startled her as he spoke up. "Maybe we should have Shino continue."

As she was about to agree, she was startled as the bug tamer spoke from her other side. "While it is easier to eliminate possible threats to the village, the 'fake' Hyuuga are potentially useful. Saiga has a nearly extinct Hyouton, and Rikka can read surface thoughts."

Matsuri carefully inquired. "What about Basuto?"

Shino turned his attention to her with a piercing gaze hidden behind dark shades. "Yamamichi are plentiful."

Again, Matsuri felt a cold sweat and chuckled mirthlessly. "Moving on, why does Rikka seem the strangest of the siblings? She easily switches between childlike tendencies and her true age in maturity at the drop of a dime." She giggled. "She even had Ibiki turned in all directions."

She nearly jumped as Shikamaru answered from beside Gaara. "ANBU researchers suspect is has something to do with the kinjutsu being used."

Matsuri looked at him suspiciously. "Wait, what are you doing here now? It's not your turn…" Looking around, she noticed a missing occupant. "Wait, where's Shino?!"

Shikamaru shrugged lazily. "What? You invited us to answer one question each."

"Wah…" Matsuri whined as she tilted her head to one side. "I've only opened one letter! How are we supposed to have a full segment?!"

Shikamaru changed it up slightly. He yawned as he shrugged lazily. "Not my problem. Anyway as I was saying, Orochimaru transfers his entire consciousness into his new host body while keeping all memories, et cetera. Yumiko transfers hers or her children's consciousness while deleting everything from the original host. Without going into boring details, it makes whoever transferred in the same physical age. It's probably some chemical imbalance thing."

Matsuri nodded. "I see, then…" Shikamaru was nowhere in sight. "Argh, our segment just got wasted!"

Gaara shrugged. "Look on the bright side." She looked at him inquisitively. "We have more time to ourselves."

She immediately brightened up. "Well, good night folks and look forward to author-san's lovely update! He apologizes profusely, and we only got to one (nonexistent) audience letter!"

Matsuri grabbed Gaara and sped out the studio laughing maniacally.

* * *

As they said, I'm truly, truly sorry! I'm almost done, but finishing up and proofreading is going to put the update at sometime tomorrow.

...

Wait, what _is_ Matsuri up to? Um, goodnight folks!


	15. Chapter 13: A Princess of Demons

TimeShifter: You know; I had that image too with the Rikka/Ibiki interrogation (who was really being interrogated?). Kanaeru and Madara aren't revealing their secrets _just_ yet. I'm glad you enjoyed the sweat shop and club shenanigans. I think one of your confusing questions is answered this chapter. If not, remind me I'm not being as transparent as I should be when I actually am wanting to be, neh? As for Kakashi, he was mad that he wasn't recalled from his mission to help rescue Hinata and, later, Naruto.

samueltm2, and kyuubilord: I try to keep things interesting.

* * *

**Chapter 13:  
A Princess of Demons  
**

To the uninitiated, the sight of two men of vastly different ages occupying a single room might not seem unusual. It could be an elderly grandfather with his grandson. However, the ashen red-eyed elder was actually the ashen green-eyed youth's brother. They were separated by nearly fifty years, but they had the same mother.

In frustration, Saiga finally spoke. "Ah! When is okaa-sama gonna break us free, so we can ransack this oppressive village!" He was humiliated enough as it was. That Anko woman turned out to be far more skilled as an interrogator than either imagined. Worse, she got them to spill the beans on how they acquired a cloud hitai-ate.

Basuto was annoyed enough that an angry tick practically kept one eye closed. "Would you shut up your incessant whining?!" He was in no mood to put up with his younger brother. He was concerned about their mother; though, it couldn't be said he cared about her current husband's condition. He was more concerned about what they revealed in the interrogation.

The room fell silent, and they couldn't help but think of their failings. They were so distracted by the oddly dressed kunoichi that entered the room to interrogate them that they never noticed her deranged expression. When they thought back on it, they probably should have expected the snakes she summoned. They should have expected kunai held to…irreplaceable regions.

They spilled everything in a matter of moments. In their shame and humiliation, they gave up what they knew. For the first time in their lives, they were scared of a female who wasn't their mother. For the first time in their lives, they felt like their minds were open to anybody who wasn't their perpetually young sister…who happened to be the middle child.

Watching them through a security monitor, Anko had to roll her eyes. Ibiki stood next to her, thumbing through her report. The 'failed blending experiments', as the Hyuuga who only possessed their fathers' traits called themselves, were arguing again. Unlike a certain, stubborn sister, the brothers seemed unrepentant.

Ibiki was genuinely stunned by the information. Their stories, in a sense, rewrote a lot of Konoha's history. There was no record of a Hyuuga _ever_ going rogue, even among the humiliated branch members. Like Hizashi, most remained prideful. When she betrayed the village a hundred years ago, she was believed dead…killed in Madara's betrayal…a hero.

He sighed. Maybe 'hero' was the wrong word even then. She didn't really _fight_; rather she was supposedly among the masses caught off guard when he led the bijuu to attack. Those souls were never honored by name on the memorial, too numerous to ever count. Her only honorable husband was left a widower with two children in the field and one still being raised.

Ibiki highlighted points on interest in Anko's report. He was surprised to find out Yumiko actually had a total of four husbands and six children. He wondered if the Hyuuga might have some information on a branch being married off to a Hayate. Besides, the name Ahito was also of keen interest. He was sure he heard that name before.

He prepared his final report. He'd have to hand it into Tsunade along with his recommendations. Basuto was old, likely into his sixties. He couldn't confirm if he'd used the kinjutsu to take a younger body. Saiga was still young, but he was spoiled and arrogant. They both had an unwavering loyalty to their mother and cursed Naruto for what he did with his final attack.

They seemed opposite their perpetually young sister. She was much more docile, likely due to her living conditions. He didn't know if he should attribute that to her ability to read minds or childlike tendencies she cultivated from 'host' bodies her mother forced upon her. Also unlike her brothers, she had a keen interest in observing, especially Naruto, to see where she should place her faith.

It was strange to think, but Ibiki couldn't call them traitors. Anko, he almost found it strange, agreed. She might have hated Orochimaru, but there was no evidence the siblings were ever given a chance to learn anything but biased opinions. Yumiko did a good job picking husbands who weren't only powerful but agreed with her.

Yamamichi Takenaga, Kagennotsuki Masato, and Kumorigachi Daikichi each held a kekkei genkai beneficial to Yumiko and her plan. She thought to blend them with the Byakugan, but she found uses with failures notwithstanding. Ibiki had his doubts of course, but he suspected each man either grew disinterested in their country or ruler _or_ wished so seek out greater power.

Really, it didn't make any sense to him. Even as he bounced ideas back and forth with Anko, they could find nothing to substantiate suspicions or go beyond what they had. At a standstill, they wrote their recommendations. They were simple and reasonable. At the very least, the three should have tracking and power sealing Fuuin tattooed onto them. Absent Yumiko's oppressive influence, they might be retrained and properly educated.

The professional interrogators had to agree. Based on the interrogations, Rikka seemed to be the least set in her ways. Nevertheless, they agreed even she could be potentially subjected to the worst case scenario. At the worst, they should be held in the best prison they had available or put to good use. As much as they hated to admit it, they couldn't ignore the 'good use' a mind reader would give them.

* * *

Tsunade leaned against the door frame of the hospital room as Sasame tended to Kiba. He came to reception earlier complaining of returning symptoms. His complexion was pale and movements sluggish. The young medical kunoichi had warned him, along with Lee and Akamaru, that the neurotoxin like chakra wasn't completely rid from their systems.

In fact, Tsunade remembered very clearly how Sasame went over the treatment procedure with the best toxicologists available. As she had duties to attend to as Hokage, that left Shizune, Sakura, and Sayumi. It was entirely possible the entire treatment would take more than a month, and Sasame had a mission to attend to with Isaribi.

Kiba, of course, complained that he wasn't back up to full capacity. He wanted another mission, as if coming so close to death to rescue his teammate wasn't enough. Worse, he hated being relegated to less strenuous activities than he regularly enjoyed. As much as he grumbled and complained, he enjoyed Sasame's presence and listened well enough.

Tsunade looked up when she heard shuffling. Sayumi and a nurse were helping, practically dragging, Lee down the corridor. She resisted the urge to firmly plant her face in her palm and shake her head. If she recalled correctly, wasn't it Sasame who warned them, specifically, to avoid extraneous activities for at least the next few days? They just had to go out clubbing after being nearly fatally poisoned…

* * *

Kanaeru hated wasting time, but she gave Sasame and Isaribi more than enough time to prepare themselves anyway. She had another pressing engagement, and she stood smirking at the entrance to the Hyuuga estate. The branch on guard duty at the main entrance gave her incredulous looks as they tried to figure out what she was doing.

She turned to look somewhere, and they followed her gaze. She flashed a playful grin and thumbs-up to a massively armored man before she was engulfed in a reddish glow. Alarmed, the guards turned their attention back to her a moment too late. It was for naught as she easily sailed over their reach and into the compound.

They turned to race after the red-headed kunoichi before their attention was painfully redirected towards the armored hulk they saw a moment earlier. They felt as if the air was torn from their lungs, and they shuddered a breath as they fell to their knees.

Without pretense, Gayt walked between them, serenely. "Do forgive Kanaeru-sama's brash behavior. She tends to act without thinking when she has things on her mind." The guards didn't know how, but they felt he was looking at them apologetically. "Do not fear for your health. You simply were unprepared for my presence."

He didn't elaborate, but the guards felt the truth in his words. As they recovered, they shakily stood. They didn't know if they should attack the armored man or not. He was clearly a stronger warrior, but he wasn't behaving…_too_ aggressively. In fact, he wasn't even reacting as they took their stances, albeit as shakily as they stood.

Inside the main house, Kanaeru was a woman on a mission. Well, at least she was on a set path. She had a bounce to her step as she practically skipped down the hallway with a huge grin plastered on her face. She had questions she wanted answered, but she felt more entertained than annoyed.

She found her quarry walking down the hallway towards her with his arms crossed. He looked haughty as he sighed, and she came to a stop directly in front of him. With a roll of his eyes, Hiashi spoke. "I'd ask why you're here, but I'm more curious about your impudence as to…march past my guards. They _are_ there for a reason."

Kanaeru couldn't help it as she replied in a sing-song voice. "I know a se-cret!" She _barely_ restrained a giggle at the expression on his face, but she remained stoutly silent. She was one of few to easily withstand the scrutinizing gaze of the Byakugan, and she enjoyed every moment it agonized the Hyuuga head.

He loosed a guttural growl. He knew the young sumitsuki had a knack for finding unwanted secrets, but he had no idea what she was thinking barging in as she was. "What, pray tell, was so important as to ignore proper protocol and come straight to me?" He wasn't very happy, and his less than cordial tone spoke volumes. He rarely spoke so improperly.

Her smile never faded. "Hinata has _Yakedo_." His expression was priceless, like a deer caught in headlights. She continued, unabashed. "If I'm sensing things properly, I'd say her sister… Hanabi, was it? …has it do. Oh, it's unrefined, and neither knows how to use it, but I certainly don't think every Hyuuga is capable of drawing elemental chakra out to such a degree."

He swallowed, the secret out. Well, at least the clan elders didn't know…yet. He knew he could trust her not to tell, but the walls had eyes. He turned and, without a word, beckoned her to follow. They weren't far from his personal study, and it was a place much more private for such conversations.

Once they were inside and the door closed, Hiashi turned to her with a heavy sigh. "What is discussed here must never leave this room." Her serious expression and nod gave him the confidence to continue. "It is a…lost art among the Hyuuga. It is rare and desired, and I'm afraid the clan elders would marry Hinata and Hanabi off just as they did Tsuchiko-chan."

Kanaeru nodded. Even if she hadn't seen him in seventeen years, she remembered his desire to avoid both the branch seal and arranged marriages for his future children. "I didn't realize it until I witnessed the battle between Hinata and Yumiko, but _Yakedo_ is genetic. I can see why the elders would want to arrange a marriage, keep the blood pure."

Hiashi nodded. He didn't want to open old wounds as his discussion with Kurenai had. He decided to ignore the more detailed analysis. He wanted to know exactly what the young sumitsuki saw in the fight between his beloved daughter and…Yumiko. "Please, relate the battle to me."

Kanaeru smirked widely. "First, Yumiko also had _Yakedo_." She loved goading expressions out of the stoic man. "As for whom she is, you can ask Hokage-sama." Her grin grew so wide her eyes closed in mirth.

Hiashi released a sigh. "I'll do that." He knew, without a shadow of doubt, that only Hyuuga, pure blooded at that, manifested _Yakedo_. After the formation of villages, its use declined to the point that the last master died ages ago and the art of controlling it was considered lost. It was strange to think that a _traitor_ to Konoha was a Hyuuga…

Kanaeru coughed into her fist to regain his attention before beginning her tale. It wasn't very long. The battle, after all, was very short. Yumiko lost practically the moment Hinata entered, overpowered by the fresh combatant. It wasn't until she got to the _real_ interesting part she got to giggle at his slack-jawed expression.

"What did you say?" Hiashi was, for lack of a better phrase, befuddled. He didn't know the details behind _Yakedo_. Tsuchiko was married to him because _she_ had it. Without the clan elders realizing it, they managed to have two children with the genetic abnormality. As such, he couldn't be sure where the blame should fall for what he was just told.

"I said…" Kanaeru drawled. "…Hinata's chakra indicated an internal argument, like a split personality." She was puzzled at his guilt-ridden expression but continued nonetheless. "You have heard of the idea of ego, superego, and id, correct?"

Hiashi nodded, unsure where the conversation was going. "Yes, of course…" He noticed her expectant expression. With a sharp intake of breath, he continued. "The form we commonly express is ego, a balance between the other two. While superego sees the world in black and white and strives to do what is right, the id only wants to pleasure itself."

Kanaeru nodded. "Right, but I sensed something…_interesting_. Oh I'm no psychic, but I can say I sensed something close to 'thoughts' between struggling chakra. It was as if Hinata's ego shut down, and her id and superego were arguing over killing Yumiko." She stopped to think for a moment. "Prolly thought about doing something to the poor, unconscious Naru-chan, too..."

Hiashi turned red in the face and flustered. "You insinuate too much, Uzumaki-san!" With a shuddering breath, he reeled in his anger. He knew his counterpart was only trying to get a rise out of him. She was much like her sister in that way. His expression returned stoic, only betrayed by a brow tick. "Can you be certain this happened?"

Kanaeru was obviously pleased with herself, but she shook her head seriously. "No, not without more evidence." With a sigh, she scrunched her face as she racked her mind for the right question. When nothing good came, she asked the obvious. "Has this happened before, using _Yakedo_ that is?"

Hiashi had to narrow his eyes. He hadn't heard anything. Of course, he wasn't on the best of terms with Hinata's sensei. If it had happened on a mission, even Neji or the Hokage could be sworn to silence by the mistress of genjutsu. "I'm afraid I don't know." He paused in consideration. "I suppose you could ask Kurenai, Yuuhi Kurenai."

Kanaeru had to scrunch her face in thought again. "Kurenai… Kurenai…" She paused, closed her eyes, and sighed in frustration. "Nope, never heard of her." Oh sure it had been seventeen years, but she remembered Kakashi and others easily enough. She even remembered the right buttons to press with the dear head of the Hyuuga clan.

The smallest crease of a smirk appeared on Hiashi's lips. "Oh really? I could have sworn you met her." He noted her look of curiosity. "She was… How did you put it again?" He paused to enjoy a little payback. "Ah, yes. …'a shy li'l' thing.'" He almost chuckled at her quizzical look. "She was a temporary guardian then jonin sensei for Hinata. She is a master of genjutsu."

Kanaeru shrugged. "I usually remem-ber…" She paused as a flash of realization pass through her eyes. "Wait, you're saying that shy girl nee introduced me to was Kurenai?" She remembered the 'pep talk' telling a fresh chunin Kurenai to either toughen up or quite being a ninja before she was killed.

_"Oh, revenge is sweet."_ Hiashi resisted smirking. "Tsuchiko-chan told me what happened after that. Apparently, she called you an 'arrogant brat'. She was a genjutsu artist even then, an excellent actress." He was confused by her reaction.

Kanaeru giggled and tilted her head down. "I think I'll like this Kurenai." She stood before noticing something. "Hmm, is that Hinata?" She paused and concentrated. "Yep, it looks like she's leaving."

Hiashi nodded. "Yes, she has a mission." He too paused to pay attention to her chakra. "It seems she got bored of waiting for me and left without saying farewell for the mission." He turned his attention back to his guest. "What are you going to do?"

With a simple gesture, Kanaeru swept her hair over her shoulder and turned to face her host. "First, I need to see this Kurenai. I need more information." She looked to the ceiling. "I have a mission, too. By tou's orders, we must ensure the security of our heir. I'm taking escorts and going on a tour of Fire."

Hiashi nodded. "I can understand that. Family is…very important." He had to shudder a sigh at that thought. "Is there anything else you need? It seems you've accomplished your usual tasks, gathered information and teased."

With a wide grin, Kanaeru practically laughed as she answered. "Nah, my work here is done!" She turned and walked to the door. As she was about to slide it open, she looked over her shoulder. "By the way, I hear some trade deals you brokered might be breaking down in Wind. From what my sources tell me, they may have suddenly happened upon some more favorable trade deals in Earth."

With information passed, she slipped into the hallway to depart. Behind her and still in the study, Hiashi shook his head. "Really, to think she'd willingly release that kind of information." He paused to think for a moment. "It would be a good opportunity to show Hanabi some important negotiations. When was Kankuro's team returning to Suna again?"

* * *

Hinata finished her preparations and loaded her pack on her back. It was a long mission, at least a few days to get to Demons. It would take longer getting back to Konoha because she'd be escorting a daimyo with no shinobi training. As she rushed out of her room, she reminded herself to give a quick farewell to her father, Hanabi, and/or Neji…if she saw them.

She frowned and looked down at the thought. She missed saying goodbye to Naruto…again. She was too busy with mission preparation; she knew he'd understand. She just wished she could have said something before he left. She wasn't even going to see him for at least a full month! Actually, she had no idea how long his senjutsu training would take.

After quickly checking the hallways and training areas, she grew disheartened. The door to her father's study was closed, so he probably had important business. Hanabi, as she was informed by a branch member, was out training, and Neji was called out, likely by Tsunade. She didn't press for details for either of them. With her attempt to say goodbye out of the way, she stepped out onto the courtyard where she saw a rather interesting sight, almost comical.

She approached the two branch members warily leering at the armored behemoth, Gayt. He was, of course, accompanied by the strange fleck of light known simply as Star. As she stepped between the two parties, she politely bowed to the mass of armor. "Good morning Gayt-san, are you well?"

Seeing their heiress quite comfortable, the branch members visibly calmed. Gayt politely bowed his head, and the blue light fleck danced energetically. Star seemed happy to see the shy girl again. "Well met Hinata-sama. I am well, thank you. Are you leaving on a mission?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes, though I can't tell you details." She appreciated his acknowledging nod and politely returned it before turning her attention to her labeled family members. "Good morning, I hope you are well." She gave them a bright smile, alleviating further tension.

It was a rare instance Hinata felt right. Even if the elders wouldn't acknowledge it, the branch members could see it. She had a certain knack for persuading parties. They had completely forgotten their stress over Kanaeru and Gayt's…unseemly entrance. In fact, they felt willing to trust them simply because their future mistress so freely entered discourse.

With formalities out of the way, she left the Hyuuga estate. Though she politely asked them, the branch members were perfectly willing to deliver her farewells to her closest family members. They also found it hard to suppress twitches at the edges of their lips threatening full-blown grins.

If she was the heiress, all was right with the world in their books.

* * *

Tsunade was a busy Hokage. She had to oversee Sasame's treatments. She was mostly curious as a medic nin, but she also had a responsibility to her shinobi. She received reports from Sakura, Sayumi, and Yoshi on Chouji, Suichi, Daikichi, and Yumiko. Most recently, she was thumbing through a report delivered by an ANBU written by Ibiki.

As she walked through the hallway containing rooms for Yumiko and Daikichi, she had to suppress a sigh at a familiar chakra approaching her. She couldn't believe she was already getting used to it. "What is it, Kanaeru? I'm busy." How many times in the _one day_ had she talked to the same red headed kunoichi?

Kanaeru giggled. "I've got a simple request this time. I want to see Kurenai." She was really curious about _Yakedo_, and Hinata had already left the village. If it was impossible to hear it from the source, her sensei should be enough.

Tsunade raised a brow. The foreign shinobi sure had a long list of people to bug…err…visit. With her busy plate, she decided to just answer. "She'll be done with her maternity checkup soon. You should be able to meet her on her way out."

Kanaeru nodded her head in appreciation. "Thanks!" She turned and sped away. She was going to find out what event triggered Hinata's _Yakedo_ no matter what! Besides, it might be fun to tease the 'shy' pregnant woman.

Tsunade watched the red head until she was out of sight before sighing and returning to her reading. Ibiki's report brought up some interesting items. Yumiko plans stemmed from a desire to seek revenge for infractions enacted against her before and during the founding of Konoha. She blamed the Hyuuga for her unrequited love, never even asking if her crush loved the woman he married.

Tsunade had to sigh. It was ironic to think she was married to a man who genuinely loved her and mourned her supposed death at Madara's betrayal. Without ever realizing it, she allowed a Fuuin to be placed on her third, legitimate child. She still didn't have enough information on that particular item. Worse, she told her 'blending failure' children that Konoha and especially the Hyuuga were against love and happiness.

Her head hung forward as she disseminated the information appropriately. They all pointed to an obvious conclusion. Basuto, Rikka, and Saiga were probably beyond salvation. They were brought up in an environment where training and strength were important. They were brought up believing they had failed their mother in some way. In perhaps the greatest irony, she deprived her 'beloved' children of what she, herself sought.

The contradictions in Yumiko's life almost made her rip her hair out. She hated her true husband because she didn't _want_ to recognize his love and blamed the Hyuuga for separating her from a puppy crush. She trained her children on the belief that shinobi are embodiments of hatred while ignoring the needs of her children.

Tsunade really couldn't ignore the worst of the infractions. She forced at least Basuto and Rikka into new bodies with a kinjutsu. When Basuto was old enough to withstand it, she gave him an older body because Yamamichi become stronger with age. When Rikka was too old or (once) fatally injured, she gave her a younger body to ensure the psychic abilities and absolute genjutsu control were maintained.

Could the three _ever_ recover from such trauma? According to the reports, Rikka seemed like the most likely candidate. After spending so much time with Naruto, she grew to accept and respect him. She wanted to observe him and the village her mother taught her to loath.

Saiga was arrogant and spoiled. Though he still had his original body, he was old enough to be set in most of his ways. He also hated Naruto, and he saw women other than his mother as little more than toys. He saw his mother's word as law, and he'd already stated his desire to raze Konoha.

Basuto never got to experience a real childhood. As soon as his chakra pathways were developed enough, he was transferred into an older body. Whatever he did learn, he was set to. As she was unwilling to stoop to murder to perform the kinjutsu and give him a chance at a regular life, he was probably the least likely of the three to ever recover.

With a final sigh, Tsunade bit her thumb and applied a bloody fingerprint to the signature line. Her word was absolute with that, nobody could override her decision. With a snap of her fingers, an ANBU dissolved from the shadows, already bowing. She handed him the paper, and he was gone.

She turned her attention to Yumiko's room. The woman was older than Konoha, and she was finally at her death knell. Tsunade turned on her heels to exit the hospital. She wasn't about to loose Yumiko's children into Konoha without administering her own test. She had plans of her own. In passing or failing, they would serve Konoha. She only had one real concern, unsure if he was still capable of watching from the shadows.

* * *

Kanaeru nodded and thanked the nurse when she pointed down the hall. In a few quick strides, she was standing in front of a confused Kurenai. "Hello you shy li'l' thing! I see you took my advice." She appraised the pregnant woman before her. "Though, I must say you took it a little far." She was all grins.

Involuntarily, Kurenai felt her brow twitch. She had only heard that phrase once in her life, and it was from an arrogant little red head a long time ago. "I'm sorry; I don't have time right now. I have some important business."

Kanaeru stepped aside as she nearly brushed past her. She quickly fell into step beside the genjutsu mistress. "I must admit; you grew up! I mean; that outfit is _nothing_ like what you would have wore when we first met. You were always in baggy clothes, not something I'd expect from a genjutsu artist trying to take advantage of her prey."

If there was one thing Kurenai was, it was observant. Even if her reputation preceded her, it seemed the 'arrogant' red head picked up on the fact that she was an actress even when they first met. "I have no desire to share my trade secrets with you." She raised a brow and gazed at her seeming companion for her reaction.

Kanaeru giggled and skipped ahead to open the door. "Oh, I have no interest in your trade secrets." She closed the door as her counterpart exited the hospital. "I'd be more interested in the man you bagged, but that's _not_ why I'm here." Mirth was obvious in her voice as she continued to skip alongside the genjutsu mistress.

Kurenai glared at the woman. "He's dead." She was blunt and to the point, but she wasn't completely cold. There was no way the woman could know what happened to Asuma. She sighed and turned to see the amusement drained from the motionless red head. She opened her mouth to apologize for being so cold.

"I didn't know." Kanaeru beat her to the punch. She looked directly at the other kunoichi's swollen belly. "At the very least, I should congratulate you on the wonderful life you now carry."

Kurenai felt a smile tug at her lips. Maybe she could grow to like this arrogant brat. She turned to start walking again but politely beckoned the red head to follow. "His name's Asuma, in case you're wondering." She watched as her face scrunched in thought. "If you met him, he was rather rebellious."

Kanaeru shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure I didn't meet him." She chuckled nervously. _"Then again, I'm not good with names unless the person makes an impression on me…good or bad."_ She paused to look to the genjutsu mistress. "I do have a question about one of your previous genin."

Kurenai eyed the woman suspiciously. She was foreign and asking about Konoha's shinobi. Then again if memory served, wasn't she the younger sister to the Fourth's lover and confidant? Nevertheless, she answered warily. "What's on your mind?"

Waving her hand in a placating manner, Kanaeru quickly answered. "It's nothing so severe! It's about Hinata-chan. I recently saw her in a fight, and she used an exceedingly rare jutsu." She didn't miss the hardened expression her walking partner took.

Kurenai steeled herself. She was _not_ going to endanger one of her students. She didn't know what, exactly, Hinata was capable of with that technique, but she was worried of word getting back to Hiashi. She hadn't forgiven him yet, and she doubted she ever would. "If you wanted to talk about Asuma, I might be willing to prolong this conversation."

Kanaeru sighed. She really didn't want to battle over it. "Listen, the jutsu she used is something Hiashi was trying to hide from the Hyuuga elders in order to protect Hinata, if it helps any." The stunned expression was enough confirmation she read the subtle changes in the genjutsu mistress' system correctly. "I'm only looking out for her, especially after seeing her use it."

Kurenai narrowed her eyes. The red head almost seemed to capture her thoughts, almost. "Even if I thought I could trust you, maybe Hyuuga spies are watching and listening to us. Maybe talking to me will ensure any trust Hiashi _might_ have in either of us is broken."

With a wide grin, Kanaeru held up two fingers and peeled them away with each point. "One, there are no Hyuuga watching us. Two, even if any were, they'd probably be branch more interested in protecting the only nice main who also happens to hold the title of heiress."

Kurenai gave her a hard look. How could she be so certain they weren't being followed? After being informed that she was tailed while Hinata was dumped off on her, she wasn't sure what to think of the Hyuuga. Their spies were topnotch to get past her senses, yet the red head standing in front of her was absolutely confident none were near enough.

As if sensing her thoughts once again, Kanaeru spoke up. "If you don't want to talk about it here, we can go somewhere more private. We can even set up multiple levels of genjutsu where it's less suspicious and talk at leisure." She paused and sighed. "It's really important, Kurenai, and it may be for the girl's best interests."

"Do I have your assurance you won't tell Hiashi anything?" When she received a nod, she decided to acquiesce. "Fine, I have somewhere I want to be. I'll tell you about the other incidents there. I don't want eavesdroppers, and I _certainly_ don't want Hiashi knowing."

The two walked on making idle conversation. Kanaeru had noticed, however. Kurenai created a subtle genjutsu while they were talking to ensure nothing too important leaked out. It confirmed one thing. She was protective, maybe overprotective, of Hinata's interests. Oh, things were getting interesting.

* * *

After entering the Hokage tower, Tsunade was flanked by Ibiki and Anko. They were expecting their leader after the ANBU delivered the blood-signed paper. They also remained silent as they descended a hidden flight of stairs to the ANBU interrogation and temporary detainment area.

Tsunade looked into the room they stopped at to see Rikka and a platoon of ANBU. The leader wore an eagle mask. She turned to Ibiki. "How did the other two take it?"

Ibiki sighed gutturally. "It could have gone better, but they have tracking and chakra-suppression seals tattooed to their bodies as ordered."

Anko snorted. "Resisted? They nearly _bit_ the ANBU escorting them!" She laughed maniacally at the memory. "If it weren't for the restraints, they might have done just that."

Ibiki shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Anyway, this one's being more cooperative. Actually, that's a bit of an understatement. She's only complained about one thing."

Tsunade looked at him curiously. "What's that?"

Anko giggled. "You'll see. Just watch, it's getting to the interesting part."

With a shrug, Tsunade turned her attention to the goings on within the cell. While the ANBU subordinates surrounded Rikka and Eagle in a standard triangle for the ceremony, Rikka fidgeted and played with her clothes to try to make them comfortable. That was strange because she seemed to only be wearing undergarments.

"Why do I have to wear clothes, anyway? They're stifling and uncomfortable…" Rikka whined as she tried to reach a particularly nasty itch hiding at the small of her neck. It didn't help that the spot also happened to be covered by a sport's style training bra.

Eagle felt like sighing. How many times did she have to explain it? "I don't know how you were raised, but it's only proper to wear clothes." She was applying the temporary makeup where the Fuuin spread across the room within the triangle were carefully laid. "Besides, I need you to hold still to finish this."

Rikka pouted, but she complied. Her muscles tensed and relaxed almost spastically. She really did seem ill at ease being covered. How did she ever survive the interrogation with Ibiki? As the final touches were being made to the final tracking seal, she spoke up. "Hey, could you see about adding another Fuuin?"

Eagle really did sigh. _"If she can't sit still for one suppression and two tracking seals, how does she expect to survive another? It better be simple, or I'm refusing."_ It wasn't dangerous. The seals she was applying could be combined with any number of other types of Fuuin. "What is it and why?"

Rikka almost mumbled under her breath. _"Her thoughts don't have to be _that_ rude."_ She still wasn't moving her mouth as she talked, but she found it bothered ANBU less than Ibiki…or anybody else for that matter. "My skin is real sensitive to sunlight. Is there a Fuuin to, well, protect me?"

Eagle looked over her shoulder for assistance. The seal requested was a blood-type, and, with how developed her chakra system was, only one could ever be applied to her. When she received a nod from her leader, she turned back. She was cleared. "It's a blood-type, so it'll be a lot more painful than the chakra-types I've applied so far."

Rikka nodded. "Yeah, I requested it, so I can't exactly back down." Though her mother was an expert on kinjutsu and Fuuin, she was never skilled at it. "Besides, I can't go outside if it pains me too much." She remembered the main reason she was in the chakra-enhancing tube all the time. It wasn't just to help her psychic abilities. She was ultra-sensitive to sunlight because of a genetic anomaly when attempting to combine _Eiki_.

Eagle leaned close to the perpetually young girl…who would finally have the chance to age properly. "Prepare yourself. I'm about to complete the final tracking seal." The seals were all strategically placed. The chakra-suppression seal was placed over her navel while the tracking seals were on either shoulder.

Rikka nodded then gritted her teeth as the Fuuin lifted themselves off the floor and adhered themselves to her skin. She didn't know how permanent the tattoos would be, but she was certain they weren't coming off any time soon. When the short ceremony was over, she lurched forward, barely containing what was left of the contents of her stomach.

If charka-types were as painful as she experience, she was sure blood-types would knock her unconscious. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she righted herself again to prepare for the final ceremony. Eagle knelt in front of her and started preparing makeup on Rikka's face. The rest of the ANBU started drawing Fuuin on the floor, this time for a blood-type.

Tsunade shook her head. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Hinata arrived in Demons without incident. She was more surprised by her reception. She was under the impression the people weren't fond of shinobi, but they took an instant liking to her. One look at her hitai-ate and she was an instant celebrity.

She was surrounded by children on the streets. Adults laughed as they related tales of an orange and blue clad, blond ninja. Shops suddenly had special discounts. She had to admit; all-in-all, she knew who to blame for the wonderful influence.

Of course, she was only disappointed by one thing in the entire ruckus. She was delayed from meeting her charge. She tried to politely escape the ever growing crowds. She tried to ignore the incessant calls from more-than-happy-to-serve vendors. She even tried to ignore the urge to hear greatly exaggerated tales of the blond haired, blue eyed hero.

She had a mission to accomplish!

When she finally passed through the gates into the palace threshold, she was bent and panting. Who knew her crush's fans could be so zealous? With a happy sigh, she allowed herself to be escorted to where her charge awaited. There certainly was no point in making her wait any further.

As soon as Shion's guard confirmed Hinata's identity and that she was okay, they escorted her inside. She was impressed with the place and saw the temple-like features Naruto mentioned. She also saw the respect the guards had for shinobi of Konoha, _his_ influence no doubt. She smiled at how much he grew on people.

The guards escorted her to the room that would be used for greetings and formalities. Shion was on the other end. She looked mildly disappointed, but she maintained her mask of indifference. She was somewhat gaudy to show her status, but, as soon as the guards closed the doors and were out of sight, she showed just how uncomfortable she was in the stately clothes.

"Ah, finally!" She relaxed under the heavy ornaments of state before inviting her hire to take a seat. As soon as she complied, the daimyo priestess carefully folded her robes back and also knelt comfortably. "I _had_ requested Naruto or…the Hyuuga who led the last group. Not that I doubt your capabilities, but why aren't either of them here?"

Hinata politely nodded. "I'm sorry miko-sama, but they both have missions. Naruto was required to undertake additional training by Hokage-sama, and Neji-niisan is a jonin whose skills were allocated elsewhere previous to your request. I, Hyuuga Hinata, have come in their stead."

Shion cupped her chin in her hand and nodded as she accepted the information. She studied the obviously shy girl seated before her. Then she waved her hand dismissively. "There's no need to stand on formalities. You can just call me Shion. If you're as stuck up as that Hyuuga, you can call me Shion-sama, but I prefer just Shion."

Hinata looked somewhat horrified. Though her tone was playful, her charge had just called her cousin 'stuck up' and 'that Hyuuga', both insinuating an insulted. "Um, do you not like Neji-niisan?"

Shion smirked. "Nah, we get along well enough. I kind of turned it into a game. After Naruto broke me out of my shell, I wanted to egg him because of how cold and precise he was."

As she was talking, Hinata noticed a presence and a shadow. She looked to the side for intruders. Even if her charge hadn't noticed it, it was her duty to protect the daimyo priestess. However, she was surprised to see the silhouette belong to a child. She only caught a glimpse of the flowing silk kimono and fiery red hair before she disappeared behind a pillar.

Shion had taken notice of her escort's sudden diversion. She smiled brightly. "Oh, you don't need to worry about the child. You'll meet her soon enough." She giggled at the shy girl's confused expression. She was certain she would like her more than the stick in the mud Neji.

"Anyway…" She continued unabated. "The mission detail hasn't changed. You are to escort me and a small group to Konoha. Once there, you are to remain my escort for both safety and protocol. If during my time in Konoha you are required for a mission, you are to help me pick a suitable replacement."

Hinata nodded. She had read the mission detail, and nothing was out of the ordinary. It was common for a daimyo to be accompanied by a small contingent of his or her guard and/or servants. She was expecting a small, horse-drawn carriage as well. She wasn't informed of how long the stay would be, but she didn't expect the mission to encompass more than a month.

"That said…" Shion restarted after a short pause. "…I am looking forward to getting to know you." She rose to her feet, her escort shortly following. "I expect Hinata of the Hyuuga clan to be a most interesting escort. I hope to speak in depth with you on the road to Konoha. Answer me one thing before I dismiss you. How long should the journey to your home be?"

Hinata nodded politely as she calculated the distance and how much slower she'd be traveling. It was easier to avoid bandits when traveling at speeds only a trained shinobi could, so she had to account for possible encounters. "Traveling at your men's full speed and allowing for adequate rest, I estimate less than two weeks."

Shion let out a deep sigh. "It can't be helped; I suppose. I'm sorry your trek home will take much longer with us in tow." She held up a hand to interrupt the apology she felt was coming. "You are dismissed to prepare. I recommend you speak with the taichou of the guard. He'll show you to a room where you can prepare your pack and supplies."

Hinata bowed politely. "Thank you…" She paused to get used being informal. "…Shion. I think I'll take you up on that offer. I'll meet you at the gates or any designated spot when you are prepared."

After a few formalities, Hinata left to find the captain in charge of Shion's guards. Shion left to prepare herself and her servants in her room. It was going to be a long journey, and neither wished to be unprepared. There always seemed to be one more thing to accomplish.

* * *

After meeting with the guards and their captain, the shy Hyuuga heir was escorted to a room where she could prepare. The captain was nice enough, and he only had nice things to say about the leaf nin who visited previously. He also seemed young for a captain, but he explained it was because Shion's predictions never seemed to let a guard survive long, and he'd taken on the responsibilities of the captain killed during Naruto's mission.

She did find it strange he held no resentment, for Shion or Naruto. In fact, he was proud to serve as one of Shion's personal guard. He was prouder still to be respected enough to represent her guard as their captain. He held no remorse for his position or fear of his daimyo priestess' prophetic ability to protect herself through sacrifice.

However, she had to ignore all previous thoughts to get ready. As Hinata was preparing her pack to depart, she felt a presence slip into her room. Turning around, she recognized the small child she noticed earlier. She wondered what the little girl was doing, spying on the meeting between her and Shion. The girl blushed cutely and ducked behind the doorframe, quite shy.

She wasn't any older than three or four. She had vibrant red hair cut much like Shion's, except for unusual cowlicks which swept forward. They gave an uncanny likeness to horns. Her emerald green eyes shone with the inquisitive nature of a child her age. Even kneeling, Hinata would have to sit back and slouch to be eye level.

The small girl wore an oversized kimono she had to tightly grip to keep from overhanging her hands. Her tiny hands gripped the silky fabric in a fashion reminiscent of how Hinata remembered holding her own. The scene depicted along the fabric was exquisite. Maple leaves swirled around the fabric as if falling in an autumn sunset.

With a kind smile, Hinata gently sat on the floor and beckoned the child in. When there was no response, she tilted her head to one side. Surely, the Hyuuga heiress was less frightening with a warm expression and smaller stature. She tried again only to be disappointed when the small girl disappeared completely.

Not a moment later, Shion stepped into the open portal. Hinata could easily see the small girl futilely hiding behind a leg and peeking to ensure she couldn't be seen. She rose to greet her charge and politely bowed. Formalities out of the way, she smiled and asked the question on her mind. "Who's the little one?"

Shion smiled and gently turned to grasp the shoulders of the small girl. Shyly, she complied and stepped out as directed. As the small girl fidgeted, the daimyo answered her escort's question. "Her name is Momiji. _She's_ who you're escorting to Konoha. I'm accompanying."

To say Hinata was surprised would be an understatement. She remembered her mission detail clearly. She was, admittedly, confused about escorting the revered priestess and daimyo of Demons, but she was also curious about the girl. Naruto hadn't stopped talking about the mission which quite literally saved the world for a whole week after he returned.

Haughtily, Shion continued her explanation with a finger raised in the air. "Though I am disappointed Hokage-sama sent you instead of Naruto or that…err…_other_ Hyuuga, I cannot fault her reasons. Seriously, to think I had such important matters to discuss with them, too. I mean…" She paused as she noticed the shy girl had something to say. "Yes?"

"Um…" Hinata hesitated. She was certain 'that other Hyuuga' referred to her dear cousin. "I think you mean Neji-niisan. He led the mission." She didn't mention how rude it was to call him 'that Hyuuga' instead of by name. He might see it as a cold reminder that he was 'merely' branch.

Shion nodded. "Yes, I remember him well enough. He was certainly a good leader, but he was _so_ cold to my danna-chan." She didn't notice her slip as she redirected attention to Momiji, who was growing more nervous by the second. "Anyway as I was saying, I had very important matters to discuss."

She raised a finger for each point she ticked off. "I mean, there're negotiations to arrange, details to plan, and poor little Momiji hasn't even met him yet!" She sounded like she was rattling off a checklist for an arranged marriage.

"Um…" Worriedly, Hinata looked to the small girl, who tried to shrink away into the daimyo priestess. "Is Momiji-chan's future husband in Fire? …Konoha?" She was not a fan of arranged marriages, and it was a constant fear being the heiress of an important and noble clan.

Shion raised a brow in confusion. "Perish the thought! She's going to meet her father!" She felt almost insulted, but she somewhat realized how her words might have been misinterpreted. Besides, she liked the shy girl.

Hinata blinked, feeling a bit flustered. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just…you sounded like…" She paused to collect herself. She brightened up and showed her prettiest smile, somewhat hoping to win something more than apprehensiveness from the young girl. "Who's the father?"

To her utmost confusion, Shion brightened up and blushed coyly. She fidgeted a bit in her priestess robes and twisted a bit at her waist. It was a strange reaction followed by stranger words. "Oh, Momiji-chan is Naruto and my child." Her eyes widened at once, and she tried to reach out before a loud thump resounded in the room.

Hinata's eyes went wide as her complexion went pale. In a seeming reversal, her mind went blank as blood rushed _from_ her extremities. Her heart felt heavy and breathing ragged. She did as she was famous for. She fainted.

* * *

Well, I think the latest chapter of the _Naruto_ manga fulfilled a lot of people's predictions (a thrown _Rasenshuriken_).

Anyway, I had the last scene written up some time ago. No, I really did! In fact, it was written before I even started on _The Path We Walk_. I have cyber cookies for anybody who can guess the next chapter's title, the importance of how I described Momiji, and/or just who Momiji-chan is.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,131  
Story Page Count: 18

**Terms and Jutsu:**

tou - realy informal way of refering to one's father.

miko - shrine maiden/priestess. I think Shion's supposed to be something similar to this, but I mainly refer to her as the daimyo priestess.


	16. Chapter 14: A Rivalry of Princesses

TimeShifter: I always have a trick up my sleeve when it really counts! Anyway, I do have a bit of a theme running (not much, though). I thought this chapter would be at least somewhat obvious, actually.

Fritter: Yes... Only time will tell...

* * *

**Chapter 14:  
A Rivalry of Princesses  
**

The day Hinata left, there was a conversation held in a solemn place next to an important tombstone. Kanaeru stood next to Kurenai, observing. The tombstone read, Sarutobi Asuma. For the sumitsuki, it was a familiar name. Well, she knew it through intelligence. However, the expression she observed on Kurenai's face told her how much she loved and missed the man.

Kurenai sighed and looked around. It had taken a few moments, but she weaved several subtle yet powerful genjutsu over the area. For all intents and purposes, she could have a private conversation even if surrounded in a crowd. "Well, satisfied with my preparations?" She was confused by the other woman's response.

Kanaeru took a moment to process what she heard and saw. Sticking her tongue out, she lightly hit her head to indicate she made a mistake. "Oopsie, could you remove the genjutsu from me, please?" It was difficult for her because it looked like the genjutsu mistress spoke something that her lips did not read.

"Um, okay…" Confused but undaunted, Kurenai pressed her fore- and middle- fingers against the other's forehead before releasing chakra into her body. "Are you not good with genjutsu?"

Kanaeru covered her own lips with her finger as if to indicate silence. "It's a se-cret!" Even in a graveyard, she was in a slightly playful mood. The seriousness of the subject matter, however, kept her from getting too carried away. "Anyway, I was curious how many times Hinata has used _Yakedo_."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Kurenai could barely restrain a sigh. "It's happened twice before." She paused to evaluate the thoughtful expression on the other kunoichi's face. "I have to wonder. Why so interested?"

Kanaeru tilted her head to one side. "Why else?" Inwardly, she laughed at the vein that was about to explode on her counterpart's forehead. "I have a vested interest in her wellbeing." She paused long enough for the genjutsu artist to calm down. "I'd rather not say anything further."

Kurenai crossed her arms over her chest and took a more lecturing tone. "Anyway, Hinata was a student I took on as a jonin sensei. What assurance do I have that not only is it in her best interest that I tell you but also you won't use any information to harm her?" In her mind, she was more interested in the latter.

"I really don't have to be a psychic to get the gist of what you're thinking." Kanaeru smiled as the leaf jonin tensed. "I am no enemy of Konoha. If anything, this village owes me a debt I doubt it could repay, and Jiraiya trusted Whirlpools without reservation. Now Yuuhi Kurenai, what assurance do _I_ have that our heir will come to no further harm by the hands of this village?"

_"Whirlpools…? Uzumaki, so it is true?"_ Never one to act on assumptions, Kurenai decided to push a little further. "I've had my suspicions, but I never dared act on them. I thought, as did others, the child couldn't survive the ordeal from that night. That resemblance isn't just a coincidence many have convinced themselves of and pushed aside. Uzumaki Naruto really does deserve that name, and he looks exactly like his father."

Kanaeru couldn't fight the smirk that appeared on her face. "I'm glad to see this village isn't so filled with ignorance as it once was. However, we aren't here to talk about what may or may not relate to my clan. I want to know about Hinata and _Yakedo_ because it's quite obvious who the girl has the hots for."

Kurenai sighed. "I have no intention of telling an arrogant brat anything that might jeopardize my former student or this village. I…" She was cut off when the foreign kunoichi leaned in to whisper in her ear. Her eyes went wide at what she heard.

"What if I told you _Yakedo_ might make poor Hinata-chan act like she has schizophrenia?" Kanaeru took several steps back to observe her counterpart's reaction. She could feel how the chakra moved in her body, obvious turmoil. _"There, that was probably the right push in the right direction."_

"I…" Internally, Kurenai had to fight warring emotions. She couldn't just 'sell' Hinata's secrets like that. She knew little of Whirlpools, but they were neutral to the best of her knowledge. "…can't just tell you that."

Kanaeru nodded. "Of course, I understand…" She paused and put a finger to her chin as if considering something. "…but, you know, I _do_ have some information to share with you." She felt for the genjutsu mistress' chakra fluctuation before continuing. "_Yakedo_ is a Hyuuga secret. It turns the user's chakra nature into a powerful weapon, but it's a double-edged sword."

Kurenai nodded in agreement. She'd seen that well enough. She still wasn't ready to divulge what she knew. _"Yeah, it took everything Kiba, Shino, and I had just to restrain her. Afterwards, she was completely exhausted."_ She looked up in surprise when the red head laughed.

"You're surprisingly easy to read." Kanaeru smirked as, once again, the leaf jonin tensed. "I'm not really interested in the weaknesses. It eats chakra, hence it's name. I imagine the biggest hurdle, however, is what I felt in Hinata's chakra, an internal struggle. She didn't even recognize Gayt or me, and we've been training with her since we arrived."

As the brunette was about to respond, the sumitsuki continued. "She recognized her Aburame friend, but I was more surprised when she simply released _Yakedo_. Considering the surprise on his face, I think the 'wills' inside her agreed on a single course of action, seek Naruto."

Kurenai sighed, finally giving in. "I can't disagree there. The first two times I ever saw Hinata activate _Yakedo_ were when Naruto was insulted and her team in serious danger." She eyed the red head. _"She's astute and reads the situation well, but, like Naruto, she has zero ability when it comes to genjutsu."_

Kanaeru considered the information for a second. _"I imagine the girl's a lot stronger than anybody suspects. _Yakedo_ alone gives her an interesting advantage, but I need to learn more."_ She turned to the brunette. "Tell me about those two times, please."

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "The first wasn't very impressive. It occurred in her second try at the chunin exams. Some rain nin was running his mouth. Apparently, Naruto's team had embarrassed his team on multiple occasions. It was the first time we saw Hinata's anger. We were caught off guard, and, by the time the proctor called an end to the match in her victory, every jonin had to hold her back."

She sighed. "Even then it wasn't enough. As we weren't trying to hurt her, she managed to break through at first. She actively avoided me. Come to think of it, she probably only recognized me of all the jonin present. When the idiot's friends tried to defend him, she almost tore through them…if it wasn't for Kiba and Shino. We managed to hold her back until her chakra ran out, and she passed out."

She looked at the sky as a cloud passed by. "It was the _second_ time _Yakedo_ came out that things got…interesting. For security purposes, I can't tell you anything about the mission. However, we did run across somebody who knew Naruto. Kiba and Shino were pinned down, and Akamaru was badly injured. I didn't see what happened exactly, but, from what I heard, their opponent had diarrhea of the mouth."

"I felt rage and more intense killer intent than I thought she was capable of. If Kiba wasn't exaggerating, I wouldn't blame her if she had the same killer intent as the Kyuubi no Kitsune on the night it attacked Konoha. She was out for blood, and, unfortunately, we needed her opponent alive for questioning."

"Wait…" Kanaeru finally spoke up as she soaked the information in. "You're saying that extreme emotions caused her _Yakedo_ to awaken?" A confirming nod was all she needed. "Interesting, I can see another reason for its name and another hurdle. I imagine it amplifies those feelings, so it could cause a psychological burnout."

Kurenai nodded. She felt the concern in her counterpart, so she felt she could trust her all the more. After all, she hadn't condemned the village for mistreating who was most likely her nephew…if she remembered her relation to Kushina correctly. "I can't disagree with that assessment. After both incidents mentioned, she was rather subdued for a while. Anyway as I was saying, the second incident was against someone we needed alive for questioning. It was…unnerving to watch water so well commanded by someone with so little nature training. She almost drowned him before we got her under control."

For a moment, there was silence. When she finally spoke up again, her counterpart was brought out of her thoughts. "If you want details on the fights themselves, you'll have to ask Hokage-sama. You only asked for information on _Yakedo_, and I've only said as much as I have because you've provided me some valuable insight."

Kanaeru chuckled. "I really like this girl who pretended to be a shy li'l' thing." She waved the look she received for her words off. "Anyway, it's more than enough information for me. If it's emotional, it should be easy enough for me to help in her training."

She paused as she noticed her kousotsu approaching. "I have one more tidbit of information for you _besides_ what I shared, and the Hyuuga don't know this. My servant, Gayt, was the one who noticed it, in fact." She paused for dramatic effect. "She can see the nature of her surroundings."

She smirked at the wide-eyed expression from the genjutsu mistress. "Gayt calls it mana, but the few shinobi trained in using it know it as something else. Jiraiya mentioned it once, but I can't be bothered to remember it, and cute little Naru-chan's supposed to be off training in it."

"Now, there's a simple reason this is important. _Yakedo_ is rare in the Hyuuga, but it was probably once considered an unwanted abnormality. When juuken was created after the rise of the shinobi, I'm sure the Byakugan, juuken taijutsu style, and abnormal sight contributed to the development of _Yakedo_. It's only theory on my part, but it makes sense."

Kurenai could only nod. "Yes, I see your point." She heard rustling and finally noticed the armor-clad man's approach. She restrained herself from gaping at Gayt's approach; she completely missed him. She noted the fleck of light around him. "If what you say is true, the ability makes sense. Only a clan with such understanding of tenketsu could develop such a technique."

With a nod, Kanaeru turned and walked to Gayt. She turned as she stood by his side. "As I said before, Hinata-chan's wellbeing is very important to me. I won't break my promise, and Gayt here made double sure no unwanted eyes or ears were near."

Kurenai narrowed her eyes as another thought crossed her mind. "How did he get past my genjutsu?" As she recalled, the red-headed kunoichi even managed to be entrapped in an illusion that wasn't even targeted at her.

Kanaeru blinked and looked from Gayt to the leaf jonin and back again. After a moment of thought, she returned her attention to the brunette with a shrug. "I guess the best I can say is…chakra doesn't really affect him." She turned on her heels and beckoned Gayt to follow. She waved over her shoulder. "See you later!" She used _Shunshin_ to avoid further discussion.

"Wai-…" Kurenai was too late as they disappeared from sight. Though she recognized the technique the other kunoichi used, the armored man seemed to just…flicker from sight. "She called him…servant?" She felt a light kick and looked to her bulging stomach. "Oh, do you think something's going on as well?"

As the wind blew, she turned to the tombstone she stood in front of. "What do you think, Asuma? You always did say that the king in shogi represented the next generation. From what I could tell, the arrogant brat had a strong will and wild spirit. Is it really okay for me to simply trust that?" She sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't worry so much…"

* * *

It was a few hours later before Kanaeru was happily whistling on her way to Konoha's main entrance. In the distance, she could already see Sasame and Isaribi waiting. Oddly, she noticed another medic nin waiting at the gate. _"Nara Yoshi, if I remember correctly…"_ He was holding a package from what she could tell. "Oh well, at least I can count on their punctuality." She smirked. "Unlike a _certain other_ shinobi I know."

From behind a pole, a silver-haired man wearing a face mask over his mouth and hitai-ate over one eye slid around to face her. His expression was solemn. "I know he's your relative, but I can't thank you enough for being there for him. I only wish I'd been recalled from my mission, so I could help."

She shook her head. "That's nonsense, Kakashi!" She giggled at his smile. "You have the reputation of your village to worry about. Naruto-kun can take care of himself, and I can handle Kyuubi if he can't. Besides, it was fun. I got to rescue him and that cute Hyuuga-chan too."

He shook his head. _"Only Kanaeru…"_ He looked over his shoulder. "Are you leaving already? I had some things I wanted to discuss." He did find it unusual that a spy and two medics were awaiting her.

She waved her hand as she nearly laughed hysterically. "No, no, nothing like that!" She wiped the forming tears from her eyes. "I'm just borrowing a couple of shinobi for a tour of Fire. I'll be back to discuss whatever you want."

As he looked at her, he wondered why he was feeling so guilty. "You know; Rin…" He never got to finish his thought as she gently placed a finger against the cloth covering his lips.

"You don't need to apologize, Kakashi." She shook her head. "No, I should be apologizing. Kyuubi took someone so precious from you." She smiled and took a step back. "Besides, that knucklehead Obito-kun would tell you to cheer up and stop being so melancholy!"

He closed his eyes and chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose he would." He looked to the Hokage tower. "Well, Yamato wanted to talk to me, and I shouldn't keep him waiting. I'll see you when you get back." They waved and gave each other farewells before separating.

It wasn't much longer before she arrived at the main entrance to observe the three waiting for her. She was expecting Sasame and Isaribi; she was paying for them. The third, one Nara Yoshi, she was not expecting. He approached and greeted first. "Sorry 'bout this, but Hokage-sama asked me to deliver this."

He held out a scroll which she quickly accepted. She was about to unfurl it when he interrupted. "Sorry, but you can't open that here. Hokage-sama asked me to tell you not to open it until you set up camp tonight."

Kanaeru sighed. As she packed the scroll away, she eyed the young medic. He was around the same age as Naruto, likely a bit older. He had the composure she had come to expect from members of his clan, but he chose a much harder life than she would have expected. "Was there anything else, Yoshi-gaki?"

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Not particularly. I have business at the hospital, so, if you'll excuse me…" He lazily waved over his shoulder as he walked away. _"I _am_ curious about her clan name, but it seemed taboo around Hokage-sama when I brought it up. Very suspicious for a visiting shinobi or dignitary."_ He had his suspicions, but he decided to keep them to himself.

_"Oh…" _She cooed to herself. _"…barely any chakra fluctuation. He's pretty decent."_ She half-expected a more substantial reaction, but she was pleasantly surprised. She nodded before turning to her hires. "I like your punctuality. It's getting late in the day, so we'll just set up camp somewhere appropriate. I'll set marching orders then. Let's go!"

Recognizing their orders, neither girl disobeyed. They weren't reluctant to leave, and they didn't feel uncomfortable around the foreign shinobi. They weren't native to Konoha or Fire either. They had their orders, and the money from the mission would strengthen the village.

* * *

Tsunade looked to the door when she heard a gentle rapping. She looked around at the other occupants, Kankuro and his genin team. She was certain she told Shizune about this important meeting. Albeit, it was almost over, but it was out of character for her faithful assistant. "This better be good, Shizune!"

The door opened a crack, and the dark-haired assistant meekly poked her head in. "Um Tsunade-sama, Hiashi-sama is here to see you… He says it's urgent and can't wait." She almost yelped when he reached over her and forced the door further open. "You can't do that! Tsunade-sama…"

Brow twitching, the buxom blond interrupted before she could finish. "It's all right, Shizune. We were just finishing up anyway." Irate, she looked the Hyuuga head in the eyes. "This better be good, Hiashi."

He politely bowed. "It is, Tsunade-hime." He politely nodded to Kankuro. "It's good I caught you before you left. I have business in Suna and would like to ask you to escort my daughter and me." He paused to let the request sink in before continuing. "I believe it would be a good experience for your genin."

Kankuro nodded; he couldn't disagree. He knew the stalwart man standing at the threshold to the Hokage's office was perfectly capable of defending himself. At best, it was a D-rank that would be classified as C-rank or better simply because it involved a dignitary and mild risk of shinobi attack. "Yeah, I can go along with that."

While it was obvious the genin were excited, a tick made itself known along Tsunade's brow. "Is that all, Hiashi? I thought you'd have something _very_ important for barging in like that." She forcibly calmed down when she noticed three very scared faces slowly backing behind their jonin sensei.

"Of course, I need to inform you that I am heading to Suna to negotiate or renegotiate some trade deals. As such, I also need to officially inform you of whom I am leaving in temporary charge of the Hyuuga clan. Upon her return, Hinata will assume that role. As such, I need her freed from shinobi detail."

Tsunade nodded. "You expect to be absent longer than her round trip from Demons?" His confirming nod was all she needed. "Very well, I'll clear Hinata from shinobi detail until your return." She turned her attention to Kankuro. "I'm sorry I've got to keep your nee-san a bit longer, but we need all the help we can get."

Curious, Hiashi watched as the young jonin answered. "Nah, don't worry about it. Temari's a bit stubborn, and she _wants_ to help. Besides if I stayed here based on every little problem…" He indicated his female charge to indicate his thoughts. _"…I'd never leave until a certain kunoichi satisfied her desire for 'Naruto-sama'."_ The genin didn't seem to notice.

With an almost lecturing tone, Kankuro continued. "We'll be leaving first thing in the morning. I'm sure Gaara's getting worried about us. I hope it's not too inconvenient for you, Hyuuga-sama."

"No, not at all. I'll collect Hanabi and meet you at the main gate." With what he had to say out of the way, Hiashi turned and left. He was sure it didn't sound very important to the genin, but he knew the meaning got across to those who mattered. Konoha wasn't going to lose trade deals with Suna, but it also wasn't going to be unfavorable to its ally. It was important to remain strong.

* * *

Kakashi shook his head when he walked up on Ichiraku. It seemed as good a meeting place as any, but he had no idea why Yamato had chosen it in the first place. He pulled back the curtain and walked in. When his junior beckoned him to take a seat, he shrugged and complied.

The younger jonin spoke up as the stool next to him was occupied. "I was in the village, but Hokage-sama didn't even summon me when Naruto went on that mission. I've also heard she's a relative." He paused to look at his senior.

Kakashi sighed. He figured news got around fast in the ANBU grapevine. "Yeah, she's Uzumaki Kanaeru." He paused to look at the ceiling. "The last time she was in our village, she actually taught sensei some Fuuin." He had a chuckle at that. Even an inexperienced sumitsuki had a mastery of seals other shinobi took years to learn.

Yamato looked to his senior with a bit of wonderment. "The Fourth was a master of seals. When he was only a candidate for the position, some said he had surpassed Jiraiya-sama, his own sensei. Are you saying she was more skilled than him back then?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, she taught him Fuuin she thought would help keep her 'nee' safe." He smiled widely, eye closed in mirth. "However, I'd say she's by far superior now."

Yamato carefully nodded. He heard about the reports that were handed in. According to what Neji saw while they were fighting, she actually completed Fuuin in the middle of combat to aid her. That kind of skill was nearly incomprehensible to him. "Are my services no longer required in controlling the Kyuubi?"

With a sigh, Kakashi considered it. "I think my team will be returning to my charge. You were a great team taichou, but you were mainly there to keep an eye on Sai." He leaned in closer to his junior to talk in hushed tones. "By the way, do you still have your suspicions?"

Yamato nodded and also kept his voice low. "Danzo doesn't just let his 'tools' go. I think Sai is genuinely trying to improve, but he's still a ROOT. I can't watch him all the time, so I can't really confirm anything."

Kakashi looked up as Ayame set a steaming bowl in front of each of them. He was about to protest that he didn't order anything when she spoke up. "Yamato-san already paid for it. Besides, tou-san and I really appreciate what you're doing for our number one customer!" Her smile beamed brightly as she turned to return to the backroom.

Yamato chuckled. "Well, I mainly wanted to find out what was going on." His smile almost faded when he noticed the bowl in front of his senior empty. "I don't mind returning to my duties with ANBU, but I'll worry about Naruto."

Kakashi stood and turned around. "Yeah, he's a knuckleheaded troublemaker, but he's a good kid. He's really surpassed my expectations." With a bright smile and closed eye, he turned to his junior. "His generation's already surpassed ours. I feel safe leaving Konoha in their capable hands."

With what he had to say out and a nod from the younger jonin, Kakashi of the Copy Eye left. He had faith in Naruto's abilities. He was certain he could master something even Jiraiya couldn't. He also had faith he would someday become Hokage, find love, and raise a family.

Things were slowly moving to where they belonged.

* * *

It was nearly dusk before Kanaeru decided to stop and set up camp for the night. After tents were up, she had Sasame and Isaribi gather firewood and food, respectively. Once they were outside the perimeter, she unfurled the scroll she was given early. She was surprised Yoshi had delivered it, but she figured Tsunade was busy.

The first thing she noticed was the sealed medical supplies. It surprised her because she figured Sasame would pack plenty of them. Next, she found some sealed disguises and makeup. She shook her head and laughed at the idea. Wasn't Isaribi chosen to take up Jiraiya's network?

She was surprised to find the last few items. Her heart rate increased, she bit her thumb and released the first seal with her blood. She skimmed through the papers that appeared and nearly hugged them to her chest. _"Thank you Tsunade!"_ They were detailed drawings and descriptions of the Fuuin used by Minato on Naruto.

She heard rustling and quickly resealed the notes. She could study them later. She turned to notice both girls returning at the same time. With a smirk, she set to making a small campfire to cook the meat. She could worry about hiding the fire later. It wasn't like they were on a secret mission or they had to worry about attackers.

She looked over to where she could barely sense Gayt. He was quiet and keeping his distance. She doubted either Sasame or Isaribi had noticed him. He didn't have chakra, and she could only sense him because of the Fuuin that held his armor together. No, it was unlikely they'd be attacked.

* * *

The next morning, Hiashi and Hanabi arrived at the main gate to find Kankuro and his team ready to depart. After they concluded introductions, they were off to Suna. Even with the four genin, the trip would be short. Hiashi expressed an interest in arriving as quickly as possible. He explained it was only polite considering the nature of the negotiations.

Along the way, Kankuro's genin tried to make conversation with Hanabi. Tsume, in particular, thought she would hit it off well with a girl just a bit younger than her. Surprisingly, the young Hyuuga stayed nearer to her father. It wasn't that she didn't like them or want to get to know them. They were just…odd.

Tsume incessantly asked about Naruto and Hinata. Hanabi tried to converse with her, but she couldn't get past her interest in those two. She was standoffish to Mori. He was a puppet user, and he seemed quiet. Hishu, on the other hand, was definitely loud. He actually tried _hitting_ on her, but she could tell he was trying to make somebody jealous.

Hanabi gave up on trying to understand them after the first day. She figured she had plenty of time to get to know them once in Suna. It was probably a good idea to separate them. Mori and Hishu obviously held affection for Tsume, and she ignored them in favor of a boy she barely knew. Things were…complicated. Yeah, procrastination was best in cases such as she was presented with Kankuro's genin.

* * *

A few days later as Hinata was approaching the capital of Demons, an ANBU wearing an eagle mask to identify herself appeared before Tsunade in her office. Without looking up from the paperwork she was busying herself with, she recognized her defender's presence. "What is it, Eagle?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Hokage-sama." She was still prostrating herself. "You asked me to inform you when the tracking seals had fully adhered to the captives bodies. As you asked, I have also ensured the special seal applied to Rikka is working properly." She didn't need to say anything more, and she knew it.

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork to appraise Eagle. "Very well, I'll have Bull assume escort duty. You deserve a break. Why don't you take off your mask and take some time off?"

Eagle nodded. "Of course Hokage-same, thank you for your generosity." Without further word, she melted into the shadows. She was only too happy to serve, but she knew her body was at its limit working nearly nonstop the past few days with the Fuuin. Basuto, Rikka, and Saiga were trying at best.

Tsunade rose from her chair and was nearly instantly surrounded by her ANBU escort. One wore a bull mask while the other three were nearly indistinguishable from the rest of their secret ops. "Bull, follow me. I want the rest of you to gather our 'guests' and meet me at the hospital."

They bowed and flickered out of sight. Tsunade knew Bull was nearby, but he kept his presence hidden as trained. As the rest of the higher ranked ANBU, he already knew her plan and understood her reasoning.

She made a beeline for the hospital. Her expression was stern, an obvious sign of her seriousness. Whatever she was up to, she meant business. She was not surprised to see ANBU with the captives waiting for her. They were quick and punctual. She nodded to them in appreciation, and they followed as she walked by without even a sign.

They finally arrived at Yumiko's room. It was dark, and Fuuin was etched across the floor and walls. She was on life support, and her vitals appeared stable. To Basuto and Saiga's untrained eyes, their mother appeared to be recovering. Rikka saw something else. Even with the chakra suppression, she could still read active thoughts well enough. She just couldn't dig into a mind for more information.

As expected, the three children rushed to their mother's side. Tsunade ordered her ANBU not to draw weapons or approach. Bull was the only one who didn't move. As ordered, they were to observe until deemed necessary.

Rikka was standing at the head of the bed. She stared at her mother's face as she listened to the thoughts around the room. Her brothers were very predictable. They were on either side of the bed, each holding one of Yumiko's hands. _"Idiots, they can't tell. Okaa-sama is dying."_ She kept her thoughts to herself.

With her head lowered, she walked back to Tsunade and the ANBU. _"Okaa-sama is dying, and there's nothing they can do. Even her essence is almost gone. Even if they let us, we don't know how to do the kinjutsu to transfer her. She taught Basuto-oniisama and Saiga-kun how, but I doubt they could at this point."_ She didn't transfer her thoughts. She wasn't speaking to anybody.

As she neared Tsunade, her brothers thought it was a cue to do…something. Even she wasn't sure as she turned around aghast. She clenched her fists and tightly closed her eyes. Her brothers were trying to get them all killed! She felt nothing but a passing wind. She felt nothing as the seconds passed. She felt like she had stood in one spot for hours.

Rikka then cracked one eye open. In the surprise and horror she felt, she wasn't paying attention to the minds in the room. In fact, the chaos proved too much for her to process all the thoughts. It was something she wasn't familiar with, and she was surprised to see ANBU holding her brothers' unconscious forms.

In her fright, she turned to Tsunade. She stumbled backwards and fell to her butt when she noticed the ANBU right behind her. She cowered and covered her face. She kept hearing the word 'test' running through thoughts. "Was this all a test?! Did we fail?! No, I'm not done observing!" She didn't realize she transmitted her thoughts in her fright.

Tsunade sighed. "You're brothers are incorrigible. They tried to attack, even going so far as to try molding chakra. The pain made them pass out." She looked to the unconscious boys. "You were all told about the chakra suppression seal, yet they ignored the consequences. They probably aren't ready to be introduced to society. Well, Rikka…do you still want to observe?"

The pale-skinned youth observed the buxom blond for a moment. "I'm being given a chance?" She heard confirming thoughts along with the nod…then she narrowed her eyes. "You're sending me to your shinobi academy?!" She felt insulted. Sure, physically she was the right age, but… "Those brats are beneath me!"

She was taken aback by the sudden change of demeanor from Tsunade, and the slug sannin nearly bellowed her reply as she picked up the light girl and pushed her against the wall. "If you want to observe, you're going to start with our youth. Naruto's on a mission right now, so you can't observe him. In fact, you might like them. They're more accustomed to Naruto. They learned of him through Konohamaru and cheered for him at his first chunin exam."

Rikka slowly nodded. She got a picture of Konohamaru when the buxom blond mentioned him. As she was gently lowered to the ground, she observed her brothers. They were stubborn. Basuto was stuck in his ways, and Saiga was the spoiled baby. She knew she was fawned over, but she was rarely allowed contact. It was a change of pace, and she found it somewhat exciting.

"I-I'll go to your shinobi academy then. However, isn't the chakra suppression you subjected me to unfavorable for the curriculum?" She didn't like having so little access to her techniques. She allowed it to be applied because she figured they'd make her live her life as a civilian while observing. They were giving her a different opportunity.

Oddly, it was Bull who spoke up. "Quiet you insolent brat. Hokage-sama is giving you a huge opportunity. _If_ you pass our expectations, the chakra suppression can be removed." He still considered the girl a danger, but she hadn't so much as tried to attack. She didn't even mold her chakra to read minds or link minds. It was a start, but he couldn't say she was close to trustworthy.

Rikka bowed her head in defeat. "Fine, I'll go." Though dejected at the seeming torture, she looked Konoha's leader right in the eyes. "However if I have to call somebody sensei, make sure it's somebody who likes Naruto."

Tsunade smirked. "I think I'll do one better. Your sensei will be somebody who was the first person, still living, to acknowledge him." She confidently wrapped an arm around the confused girl's shoulders. She didn't say it, but she was enjoying the lowered ability to read thoughts. "Now then, I have some things to discuss about your kaa-san."

Rikka looked over her shoulder to see the ANBU flicker out of sight with her brothers. With only Bull and one of his subordinates remaining, she returned her attention to her mother. She rolled her eyes. "What is there to discuss? Okaa-sama's dying, and you know it. I don't know everything okaa-sama knows, and the only way you'll learn that is to transfer okaa-sama into a new vessel."

She continued before she could be interrupted. "However, you aren't about to do that. Okaa-sama's vessel is dying, but, more importantly, her essence is fading. There's nothing you can do for okaa-sama, and you've already figured that out." She paused. "Right?"

Tsunade sighed. _"Maybe the brat is still just as good at reading minds."_ She shook her head. "Whatever the case may be, you're the nearest relative we trust enough to deal with. She's a traitor, but we'll go along with your wishes for a funeral. Just don't expect a good spot for a burial or a pyre."

Rikka turned a cold gaze to her mother. "Okaa-sama is really dying…" She took a shuddering breath. "If Basuto-oniisama and Saiga-kun see the funeral, they…_might_ be easier to control. I don't know, though." She felt a tear run down her cheek. "You can hate and curse her all you like, but she was still our okaa-sama. Even if she lied and was a bad person…"

Tsunade gently squeezed the perpetually young girl's shoulder. "Don't worry. We don't expect you to hate her. I think I'd be rather disappointed if you did, actually." She looked at the girl, almost ready to sob. "It's okay to cry. We all need to, sometimes." She was surprised by the resolute look on the face of the pale-skinned girl.

Rikka refused to cry. Even if tears welled up and rolled down her cheek, she was _not_ going to show that weakness in front of her mother. With some determination, she managed a question. "When do I start school?"

Tsunade shook her head. "It starts in a few weeks. I'll have a jonin on maternity leave show you around some." With those words, Rikka's odd relationship with Konoha officially started.

* * *

A horrible smell permeated her senses. It was familiar and jolted her to a waking state. She bolted upright and swatted the air in front of her nose. As her lavender eyes focused on the worried look from a miko and curious look from a red-headed child, she remembered where she was. She also placed the stench, smelling salts.

"Sh-Shinon-chi, i-is the nee-chi otay?" The shy red-head spoke with a soft voice. Momiji hid behind Shion's leg. She also had a bit of trouble with speech and called her Shinon instead. A few things started to click for Hinata.

Shion smiled brightly. "Yes Momo-chan, Hinata's okay." She giggled. "I think we just surprised her a bit. She wasn't expecting cute little Momo-chan to be Naruto-kun's otome."

"I-Is nee-chi taking me to see Naru-chi?" She had a sparkle to her eyes as she asked the question. She was excited to meet her father. When Shion nodded, she nearly jumped for joy. After a moment of thought, she carefully walked to Hinata. "Um, um… Ah… Tank you nee-chi!" Embarrassed, she rushed to hide behind Shion again.

Hinata was pleased when the young girl approached, but she was taken aback by the sudden retreat. She wouldn't press the issue. Momiji seemed shy and uncertain. She was like that when she was her age. She watched as Shion turned around to speak with the girl.

The daimyo priestess gently rested her hands on the young red-head's shoulders. "Why don't you be a good girl, Momo-chan, and tell Mizukura-taichou that we're ready to go."

Momiji frowned but responded positively. She held her arms out to balance herself as she rushed out the room in something between a walk and a run. She swayed a bit back and fourth, but she appeared fine nonetheless.

Once she was certain she was out of earshot, Shion turned to her escort to ask a question bluntly. "What do you think of Naruto-kun?" She had her suspicions based on the heiress' reaction. She hadn't thought logically about it at all and simply fainted.

"Well, um…" Hinata wasn't sure if she should be honest, but she already promised herself her love for Naruto would be the one thing she would be selfish of. "He…I, um, he's most precious to my heart…" She blushed. It was the first time she actually _told_ somebody else, and she wasn't sure her confession in the dream really counted, even though it really was to Naruto.

Shion sighed and appraised the girl. "Well, I can't fault who you like, and you really do offer up some competition…as far as looks are concerned." She stretched to purposely show off her curves. "However, you're not very confident. You're clothes are baggy, and I could only tell what kind body you had when I checked your breathing."

Hinata's blush deepened. She recalled the clothes her friends tried to pick out for her. They ranged from immodest to…not as showy from Ino to Sakura to Tenten. Naruto had seen her in her…favorite of the dresses and in a combination of styles, but she was only just getting used to the compliments. She covered up so much even her supposed suitors never complimented her. Though admittedly, she never gave them the time of day.

Shion held one finger in the air and continued. "However, I can only have one child, and I absolutely _refuse_ to have her with anybody but Naruto." She caught the wide-eyed look from her new sort-of rival. "I only met Naruto-kun a few _months_ ago. Momo-chan's an orphan."

Hinata let out a sigh of relief. "I-I thought it was a little odd when I started thinking about it…" She sorrowfully bowed her head. "I'm sorry for thinking so poorly of you…" Actually, she was fighting between bloodlust and abject horror when she fainted.

Shion waved the thought off. "Perish the thought!" She giggled. "Actually, I like you Hinata. You're _way_ more fun than that other Hyuuga! I'm glad they sent you. I can have some real girl-to-girl talks!" She smiled happily, something Naruto taught her. "Besides, nothing says rivals can't have a heart-to-heart. Now come on, can't keep Mizukura-taichou waiting."

Hinata nodded, stood up, and followed her charge to the designated meeting place. She was ready to move out, supplies packed and held in one hand. She was done thinking depressing thoughts. Naruto wasn't the girl's _natural_ father, so she understood the situation a little more.

However, there was one problem. Though Shion called her a rival, they should be equal. It seemed to Hinata such was not the case. They couldn't adopt a child in both their names _unless_ they were married. Betrothal wasn't enough, and she was certain Naruto had no fiancée.

Her thoughts kept circling as they entered the courtyard. She saw Momiji standing nervously with the guard, but she rushed to Shion's side as soon as she saw her. Hinata couldn't fight a smile that tugged at her lips at the sight.

Mizukura approached and politely bowed. "Daimyo-sama, Hyuuga-sama, preparations are complete." He indicated the carriage and surrounding garrison. They troops were ready to leave and eager to serve. They also seemed pleased that, unlike last time, they were being given the chance to take up arms for their daimyo priestess.

Shion looked to her escort. "If you don't mind, could you inspect the preparations? I'm not sure what to actually expect for such a long voyage, and I trust your opinion." She smiled while warmly holding Momiji's shoulders.

Hinata nodded in confirmation as she approached the carriage and troops. It was a fairly traditional setup for a daimyo. The troops would cover the flanks and reverse of the carriage, but the formation allowed the front to be quickly covered just in case. She imagined she would be asked to take the point.

The inspection was finished quickly. There were _more_ than enough food and supplies. Normally, she'd find that something to argue against. However, she knew her arguments wouldn't be heard. The troops would staunchly defend the need to be over-prepared for their daimyo, and the daimyo would argue the supplies were necessary. Though there were plenty of villages on the way back to Konoha, there was no point delaying for such a trifling matter.

Hinata approached her charge and politely bowed. "Everything seems in order. Do you wish me to take the point?" Though she was fairly certain she would be asked to take the position, she still felt it polite and within bounds of respect to ask.

To her surprise, Shion shook her head. "I'd like to talk to you, so you can walk just outside the carriage door." She was certain the shinobi would at least insist on walking outside to ensure her safety. However, she was wide-eyed to the actual response.

"I'm sorry Shion, but we can talk whenever we set up camp. It is important that I get you to Konoha with minimal trouble. On my way here, I took note of any potential spots for ambush or bandit hideouts. It would be best if I take the point to ensure safe passage." She figured she was being perfectly logical and reasonable. It was fine to chitchat, but it had its time and place.

Reluctantly, Shion agreed. "Okay Hinata, I agree to your plan." She turned to the captain of the guard. "Mizukura-taichou, I want you take the rear. You are the strongest of the guard, so it's only appropriate that you backup Hinata's efforts." He only bowed and nodded before turning on his heels to give orders to the men.

"Ah we leaving to see Naru-chi now?" Momiji looked hopefully up to her mother.

Shion smiled and took the small girl's hand. "Yes Momo-chan, we're going to see Naruto-kun now. You just have to be patient a while longer. Hinata-chan will ensure we make it to Naruto-kun safe and sound." She closed her eyes in mirth as she led the red-head to the carriage.

Momiji smiled. "Yay, I'm going to see Naru-chi." She happily complied as she was led to the carriage and carefully lifted in first. She climbed into a seat as Shion boarded directly behind her.

Before the door was closed, Hinata approached. "I'm sorry I had to go against your wishes, but I need to keep you and Momiji safe. It's my job."

Shion was about to respond when Momiji spoke up. "If nee-chi wants to call Momiji Momo-chan like mama, Momiji wouldn't mind." Embarrassed, she hid behind the fabric of her kimono sleeves.

With a smile, Hinata responded. "If you insist, Momo-chan." She turned to take her position. "I _shall_ get you to Konoha safely, even if it means disobeying you from time to time. If you want to stop somewhere along the way, tell me, and I'll check it out first." She tossed a bag into the carriage. "Those are smoke flares. The white ones tell me you want to stop and rest. The red ones are for emergencies only, such as an attack. You can use the blue ones if you want to tell me something. Please be careful using them, we don't want to attract too much attention."

Shion picked the back up and took a look inside. Sure enough, there were white, red, and blue smoke flares. She understood them well enough, and she understood why she was being given them. With the shinobi at the point, they needed a fast, reliable way to get her attention. "Very well, I hope I only ever have to use the white ones then."

The first week of the trip back to Konoha had been delightfully uneventful. They passed a few areas with obvious bandit activity, but they wisely choose to stay away from such a large formation. The first few camps were set by Shion's schedule. Hinata never complained, but she knew they could travel faster if the schedule was based on the troops' stamina.

Hinata was surprised at how well she got along with Shion, and she was pleased to see Momiji slowly warm up to her. They talked at night before heading off to bed. When they talked, it was on random matters. Sometimes the topic rested on Naruto, and Momiji was very attentive even as her lids grew heavy.

Mizukura insisted Hinata take the final watch every night. She didn't mind; she was used to early mornings. He always took the first watch despite having plenty of troops, and he alternated who took which watch each night. Hinata had to admit; he was a skillful and logistically minded captain of the guard.

Unfortunately, a peaceful trip to Konoha was not to be. Hinata was standing a few feet into Fire territory. She planned on waiting Shion and her entourage and officially welcoming them to her homeland. Unfortunately before any such joyous announcement could be made, she noticed a red plume of smoke rising from where she estimated Shion's carriage was. With wide eyes, she rushed back as fast as she could.

She arrived at a scene of chaos. Shion's carriage was easily surrounded by multiple circles of troops. However, their number was reduced by nearly a quarter. She knew whoever was attacking was strong. Mizukura was barking orders from atop the carriage, and she noticed a glow around its perimeter.

Without hesitation, she made her way to the already dug in troops. She easily reached her target and stood next to him atop the carriage. "What happened? What's the situation?"

Mizukura heaved a heavy sigh of relief. "I was wondering where you were, Hyuuga-sama." He paused to assess the situation. "We were passing the tree line when a ninjutsu struck our reverse. Our formation is in disarray, and our troops are worried. It's obvious we're dealing with a shinobi…"

They heard a clapping and turned to see a middle-aged man approaching. With her Byakugan active, she noticed a middle-aged woman not far behind. Her face went pale when she noticed their hitai-ate. They were missing nin from Kumo, and the woman looked vaguely familiar.

* * *

I _really_ thought somebody would get Momiji... I mean; Naruto met Shion at most a few months ago... Momo-chan's three years old! Yes, the cowlicks are important... I'll be explaining more about Momiji and her fiery red hair, but there's a more appropriate time. Shion doesn't want to explain things several times, after all.

Sadly as some may have noticed, I'm having to change my update days to Mondays. Recently, it seems my schedule and school has been uncooperative to Sunday releases; I get so busy on weekends with school projects and absurd work schedules I have barely any time for necessary proofreading. Next time I have to work twelve hours _in one day_ (twenty-five in total) on one project, I think I'm going to scream...

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,032  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Shunshin _-_ Body Flicker_: A rather low level technique, _Shunshin_ uses chakra to boost one's speed.

otome: daughter


	17. Chapter 15: Ill Intentions

TimeShifter: Do you still like Momiji? It's hard writing a three year old... Anyway, I hinted at Hinata seeing mana when she, Neji, and Kanaeru were watching Naruto spar with Gayt. Next batch of questions shall be foreshadowed to death until actually revealed (later arc). I'm looking forward to Hanabi as well (hinthint*winkwink). Oh, I won't ruin your moment... Ignore my shifty eyes...as I direct you towards the answer to the familiar woman in the following chapter. Oh, I couldn't find the pack/back mistake. Then again, I got a strangely heavy workload the past two weeks... Anyway, I enjoy extensive reviews. They tell me where I need to work on transparency and where my skills work best. I do love my cliff hangers...

samueltm2: Oh, I'll be giving hints as to what _might_ happen on Naruto's return... I'm evil have actually planned the next arc extensively.

kageshishi: Thanks, I've been meaning to get back to that... Honestly, I don't know how I mixed up that name...

* * *

**Chapter 15:  
Ill Intentions  
**

The middle aged, treacherous shinobi formally of Kumo approached their newly redefined treasure trove. The female spoke first. "It seems our quarry is far more valuable to us than a simple paycheck, Kinofuji." Her voice croaked with age and a seductive undertone.

The man responded with a raspy, agitated voice. "Who'd a thought we'd find an unmarked Hyuuga this far without escort, eh Tsutsuji?" His brow furrowed further, only serving to mirror his tone. His form was rigid, already hardened by some armoring Doton technique. Otherwise, he was plain to look at with graying, brown hair and aged, yellow-green eyes. His earthen robes covered his lithe features.

Hinata's attention was transfixed on the woman. She felt a fear awaken that she hadn't felt since she was a child. Her appearance was unmistakable. With the exception of her magenta-colored eyes and feminine figure, she was the spitting image of the man who had very nearly kidnapped her when she was a child. _"No!"_ She chided herself. _"I will _not_ be crippled by fear!"_

Though Mizukura heard the woman speak, he couldn't see her around the approaching man. He didn't have the object-piercing sight of the Byakugan. Instead, he readied his stance and drew his two-handed katana. "Hyuuga-sama, what are your orders?" He was used to giving orders, but a hired shinobi had precedent command.

She shook herself from her stupor. "You have command of your men. They have done well to maintain order, so far." She paused to fully assess the situation. In numbers, they had the distinct advantage. In training, their enemy likely held an edge. Though traitors to their village, they were obvious war veterans. She hated to admit that she didn't know who held the real advantage.

She found some reassurance. She had a garrison to back her up whereas she could see no other chakra signatures nearby to backup the duo. She molded a little extra chakra to stretch her perception, just to be sure. "They are only two. While I fight one, distract the other." She narrowed her eyes as she watched the assailants

Kinofuji ran through some hand seals before touching his hand to the ground. He was obviously an accomplished Doton user. If he resorted to such techniques first, it was likely his chakra nature. _"Not good, he naturally opposes me."_ Hinata remembered Kakashi's explanation. _"Just as the earth drinks and absorbs water, so does Doton naturally soak up Suiton."_

Tsutsuji molded her chakra for some unknown purpose. Deciding to concentrate on the unknown factor, Hinata tried to read her tenketsu nature. It wasn't a difficult prospect for the Byakugan, and most Hyuuga disregarded such extraneous sensory input. However, it best served her to know in her current situation. Katon dominated her tenketsu.

Hinata wasn't giving up. She knew her skills had improved over the years, and her opponents were taking the garrison of soldiers far too lightly. With her Byakugan, she already knew several of Shion's personal guards were capable of molding chakra, including Mizukura. Besides, she wasn't a scared, little girl. As she easily slid into the primary juuken stance, she steeled her resolve. _"I won't lose. I _can't_ lose!"_

Her eyes narrowed as her vision blurred for an instant, and she watched the Katon user race through hand seals. Molding chakra, she prepared her own technique. Carefully, she relayed a command to Shion's captain of the guard. "When they attack, rush the man with his hand to the ground. Keep him occupied." She had no time to await his reply.

Tsutsuji took a deep breath. "_Katon: Endan!_" She smirked as the plan fell into place. Her confidence only grew when the pale-eyed girl expelled chakra through her tenketsu in order to accelerate a spin into the famed Hyuuga defense. "Hurry Kinofuji, before our prize burns to ash!"

With a nod, he rushed the stunned soldiers while molding chakra. As he completed his first hand seal, his eyes widened, and he turned back to his partner. As he was about to rush to her fallen form, he was forced to roll away from the sharp edge of a katana. He did not escape unscathed as a sleeve fell to the ground revealing a shallow gash across his bicep.

Jumping into a fighting stance, Tsutsuji gingerly placed her hand against her cheek. She knew the damaged tissue would show signs of bruising soon. Her scornful glower fell upon her attacker, a confident Hyuuga in her battle-ready stance. "How did you escape Kinofuji's genjutsu?"

Deciding it was a good time to imitate her father and cousin, Hinata puffed her chest as she haughtily looked down her nose at her opponent. "The all-seeing Byakugan won't fall for such illusions." She didn't want to admit that even more powerful eyes would have fallen under such a powerful technique if not trained properly. She had Kurenai to thank.

"I see…" Tsutsuji looked over to see how her partner was fairing. He was surrounded by a group of soldiers, but he was locked in combat with one in particular. He looked to be their captain by her estimates. "His jutsu was specially crafted for your famed Byakugan. I see we underestimated you." She did not mind admitting that. She wouldn't relax her guard again.

Hinata carefully eyed the carriage. The Katon technique her opponent announced was _not_ the one used. She didn't recognize the hand seals, but the genjutsu hid its true form. She took stock of the situation. Whereas she was good on chakra, her opponents both used powerful techniques. They still had more reserves, but their chakra control was less precise than hers. If she could keep the battle at her pace, she knew she could win the day.

She watched her opponent tentatively edge forward. One step then two steps, they carefully watched each other for any reaction. When she noticed the magenta eyed woman mold chakra to her throat, she prepared for another Katon technique. Then the woman just…vanished. With wide eyes, she barely managed to dodge an attack from the side and jump away. _"How did she do that?! I didn't even sense her!"_

Tsutsuji clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. She hadn't expected her quarry to dodge her attack quite so easily. She smiled. _"At least she couldn't get one of those juuken strikes against me!"_ She reveled in the small victory and wind whipping around her to cool her skin.

As she molded her chakra to strike again, she smirked as she watched the young girl tense. _"There's no way this brat can figure out what my jutsu does."_ Once again, she disappeared from the girl's vision only to barely miss delivering a powerful blow. The smirk grew on her lips. The frantic effort to dodge was sure to wear their quarry down. _"Now Kinofuji just has to accomplish our primary task. Then, we can return to Kumo in triumph!"_

Hinata carefully studied her opponent. _"That's twice now… It's too fast to be Shunshin, but it's impossible to just…vanish like that. I've got to figure this out, so I can help Mizukura-taichou."_ Deciding it was futile to remain on the defensive, she decided to rush her opponent. Again, she lost sight and sense of the magenta eyed woman only to barely dodge.

Tsutsuji nearly snarled as her attack went clean over their quarry's head. She jumped away as the girl came out of her roll and attempted two disabling juuken strikes. _"This brat's good. She's agile and obviously well trained in her family's taijutsu. With three of my attacks, I haven't landed a single blow!"_ She paused as she jumped back to avoid a fatal blow to her chest. _"She has excellent chakra sense…"_

Though normally quiet and patient, even Hinata was growing frustrated. Her opponent had greater chakra reserves and an odd technique. Though it obviously drained her opponent, it didn't seem like it was enough. She pressed her attack, hoping to gain ground and an understanding.

* * *

An untold distance from Konoha let alone Hinata's struggles, a masked figure practically skipped along the empty street. He didn't care that it was raining, and the eye visible through the one hole in his mask looked particularly giddy. The few who ventured to look his way immediately could tell where he was going. They also knew exactly what position he held and who he was.

He was the newest member of the high ranks of Akatsuki, Tobi, and he was heading to a location dedicated to serve the needs of those exalted figures.

As he entered, he greeted the shop owner in that idiot's voice everybody knew and either loathed or secretly loved. He made a beeline to a particular nook to open a passage only he knew about. He needed to visit the forbidden tower without attracting undue attention. With other members of Akatsuki in the village, he couldn't get in his usual way. They'd detect his chakra, and he wasn't keen on revealing his identity just yet.

He created a _Kage Bushin_ to act independently while he was conducting business. The replica maintained the idiot visage as it scoured the store for any useful weapons or replacements to spent kunai and shuriken. The real deal climbed into the secret hallway to ascend the tower of the villagers' god. Oh, how he loved playing with the ignorant masses.

Once he reached the top, he removed the skip from his step and approached the two figures. A woman approached and politely bowed. She directed him towards his intended target. The man didn't bow, but he addressed him more respectfully than anybody else. "I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you'd be annoying your new 'partner' because of how amused it makes you, Madara-sama."

Tobi reached up to his mark and removed it. He remained in the shadows as his powerful eye fell upon his subordinate. "Now is not the time, Pein. I thought you were taking Konan to bring down Konoha and retrieve the Kyuubi." Despite his normal idiot guise, the powerful man was quite calm as he spoke.

Pein politely bowed his head. "I apologize. After my fight with Jiraiya and our misinformed siphon of the faux bijuu, I needed time to recover. As I had to replace and repair bodies, the progress has been slow." He paused. "I also need time to prepare for such a delicate operation. Konoha is among the major villages, and even I need time to prepare for such an operation."

Madara nodded. He could be reasonable, and he fashioned himself magnanimous. "Kumo is moving to have a Council of Shadows. I _hope_ to have one piece removed before then. They are sending an ambassador to Konoha because I had Sasuke-kun attack one of their shinobi."

Pein was silent for a long moment, pondering Konoha's former shinobi. "If the summit goes well, it will make our movements difficult. Because of Jiraiya's death, Konoha's Kage knows where we are. I see why you asked me to move against one of the main villages."

"There's more to it." Madara practically cooed. "The time will soon come for me to dump my Tobi façade. When we've finished gathering the bijuu, the shinobi world will finally fall to shambles. The _peace_ you wanted will be at hand. Akatsuki will rule over the new order, and war will be no more."

Pein's stoic expression never left his face. "By your will, I shall ensure the Kyuubi is returned and that Konoha feels true _pain_. The Council of Shadows won't have the chance to learn what Konoha knows."

Madara smiled as he returned his mask. "That's good to hear." He was about to turn around but pretended that he just remembered something. "Oh, send me and Kisame to talk to Sasuke-kun. I need to tell him of his failure and to hunt down Kira Bii for embarrassing Akatsuki." He chuckled darkly. "My 'partner's' too boring for this assignment."

Pein nodded as Madara left. He turned to Konan. "Have you prepared everything I asked?" She nodded. "Good, we shall leave as soon as preparations are complete. We still need to set up when we arrive, so we won't be taking any chances."

* * *

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as a particular cloud passed. _"Why is it whenever I decide to enjoy my favorite pastime?"_ He knew his question was rhetorical as he turned his head to observe his 'guest' on the roof of the deciphering building. "What do you want, troublesome woman?"

Temari ignored his rude comment with a half-hearted sigh and shrug. "Men, they never learn." She walked up to him and crouched down. After wrapping her arms around her knees and feeling comfortable, she asked her question. "Aren't you supposed to be downstairs helping decipher Jiraiya's coded messages? I thought the whole point was to learn more about Akatsuki and their movements."

"What do you think of Naruto?" He observed her body language. She tensed, and he interrupted before she could respond automatically. "I've read what we've managed to decipher, and I've had my suspicions for a long time." He paused. Her shoulders stiffened further, and she was about to retort. "He's a lot like Gaara, but we were fortunate. He never went psycho and killed villagers."

She took a deep breath. She couldn't trust assuming how much he actually knew. From experience, she acknowledged that Naruto would want his privacy maintained. With a smirk, she managed to relax and release a quip. "Oh, he's certainly better than you, lazy. Sure, he might not be as smart, but he's strong and doesn't mind taking risks."

He narrowed his eyes and turned back to the clouds. "He also defends his precious people as if they were his last possession in this life." He didn't like being compared to Naruto; it wasn't fair to either of them. "He may be a hopeless, troublesome idiot at times, but he's easy to understand and like."

She looked at him carefully. "What do you actually know…? No, more like how long have you actually known? You don't have simple 'suspicions' or you wouldn't be bringing this up." Sometimes she hated to admit it, but she knew him too well.

He eyed her carefully. "The truth is…my team and I have known for a while now. I talked to them about what happened during that whole chunin exam debacle, and we all came to an agreement. I think the mission against those immortals cemented everything." He paused as a passing cloud reminded him of his dearly departed sensei. "Naruto and Gaara are really two peas in a pod…"

She looked down, dejected. "Do you hate him?" She wondered how much he knew or had figured out. Worst of all, she feared what might happen if the naïve blond were deserted by his precious people.

"You kidding me? …_that _idiot?" He almost laughed. "It's too troublesome." He reached out to 'grab' a passing cloud striking a vague similarity to a cigarette lighter. "He's going to be Hokage someday, dattebayo." He earned a swift slap upside the head for that phrase, and he was quickly rubbing the sore spot.

She rolled her eyes seeing his antics. She knew he said what he did on purpose. She knew it was in honor of his friend and in recognition that he was going to _help_ fulfill the idiot's dream. "What are you going to do about this whole mess, then?"

He pulled a slip of paper out of his vest and handed it to her. As she unfolded it, he answered. "I'm going to help him hunt down the man who killed his sensei and then help him end Akatsuki. It's as simple as that."

As she looked at the paper, she wondered why he gave it to her. "Isn't this the first message you guys decoded?" It was an odd message about fake bodies or something. It was interesting that the obscure message about the supposed leader of Akatsuki lead to a breakthrough in understanding the cipher to the rest of Jiraiya's works.

Shikamaru nodded. "Jiraiya's code really is troublesome. So far, we've found three different ciphers. In one message, he's able to tell us several things. The first cipher was relatively easy, and that message said we were looking in the wrong place. The second cipher Naruto accidently gave us, and it said something about the real body being elsewhere. The third cipher was a private message for Hokage-sama…"

Temari's eyes went wide. "I didn't hear anything about that!" She was surprised and almost outraged. _"How could I be left out of the loop?!"_ She closed her eyes and counted to ten to calm down. "Well, what did it say?"

He shook his head. "Sorry troublesome woman, but it was a _personal_ message. I wasn't even there when they discovered it, and they weren't about to tell me its contents." He figured a little white lie couldn't hurt. Besides, it quieted the troublesome blond woman, and the short message was _very_ personal.

_"I always loved you, Tsunade. I'm sorry."

* * *

  
_

Naruto was tense, and he couldn't explain it. It was certainly _not_ helping his training. _"And I just figured out how to remain completely motionless!"_ It was hard enough for the ever excitable shinobi without unusual distracting thoughts. Besides, that old toad sage had complimented him on how perfect his senjutsu transformation was.

He tried to deepen his concentration. The slab of rock he sat on didn't as much as sway atop the massive spire. He knew why he was tense. Throughout his training, he always had something to think about. He was always moving forward and learning something new. He was past that. He knew how to gather sage chakra, which felt vaguely familiar to Gayt and Star.

He also managed to derail his normally hyperactive nature. Unfortunately, the latter was coming back to bite him harder than ever. He was finding it hard to sleep at night, and not for lack of fatigue. A certain pale-eyed, dark-haired girl was on his mind. He didn't know when it started exactly, but he knew what event finally hammered the question in.

_"What _is_ Hinata to me?"_ She admitted to liking him in a dream. He only realized how real the dream was later, but it still seemed surreal. Had it happened when she lifted his spirits on the training grounds before his match with Neji? No, she was the weird, dark girl on his list of precious people at that point. Could it really be?

He didn't realize how distracting his thoughts were until he felt an unnatural spike in his chakra, and he almost cursed his misfortune. He tried to get his sage chakra under control but overcompensated, and he felt a heavy thwack over his head. As the natural energy was expelled from his body, he attempted to rub the forming welt only to realize too late his own detriment.

Before his slab of rock could fall to the ever present danger in the craggy pass, he was caught by the long tongue of his latest sensei. He looked nervously below as he was hoisted to a new slap atop a new spire. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he couldn't let himself be distracted.

"What's the matter, tadpole?" The sagely toad spoke kindly as he reprimanded his newest apprentice. "You haven't done _that_ in a while." He wasn't expecting it and almost hadn't reacted in time.

"Ah, I'm sorry Fukusaku-sensei." The young man was obviously frustrated. "My mind was wandering, and I lost concentration…" He felt little truth in his words. He was concentrating just fine, but it was on the wrong subject.

The elder toad saw the tumult of emotions in his apprentice's eyes. "Emotions can be a powerful tool, but they can just as easily work against you. You have to confront them and understand them." He sighed. "You show more promise than I've seen in decades, but you have two factors working against you."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, stupid Kyuubi won't let us merge. Though, I'm not sure I mind all that much. It's kinda crowded in my body already." He paused to grouse and cross his arms over his chest, an odd endeavor at his precarious perch. However, his slab hardly moved much to his sensei's amazement. "I think you said the second obstacle was my emotions…"

Fukusaku shook his head. "That's not exactly right. The second obstacle is actually a proper _outlet_ for your emotions. They're too bottled up, mostly by your lack of understanding. Is there something you want to discuss?"

The blond immediately blushed. "No, I'll figure it out on my own." He thought he heard his tenant bellow laughter but pushed it aside. _"The stupid Kyuubi can't talk to me unless I'm in that weird mindscape…or dreaming…or in a genjutsu…"_ Besides, he actually wanted to figure things out on his own.

The toad elder sighed and shook his head. _"At least the tadpole's coming along well. A few more days of this practice and we'll try merging again. If we can't figure out a way around his problem with Kyuubi in time, it might be impossible for him to face that…abomination. I hate to say it, but Minato-chan might have caused considerable harm with his Fuuin."_

He observed his pupil for a few moments before returning to his own meditation. The son of the Forth Hokage was a genius in his own right. He was free-natured and flexible, able to easily read a situation and flow with the battle. He exhibited the best and worst traits of his primary chakra nature, and he was so young to have mastered senjutsu as completely as he had.

The boy was most definitely as described. Uzumaki Naruto was the number one, hyperactive, knuckleheaded and surprising ninja.

Unbeknownst to either, he had one more surprise up his sleeve. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he felt something was up with Hinata. He just felt it was why she was on his mind, and he couldn't shake his anxiety.

* * *

As Hinata charged her opponent, she molded chakra to her open palm. She was intent on finding the secret of her opponent's odd technique. As she thrust her hand forward to deliver a paralyzing juuken strike, she again witnessed her target mold chakra to her throat before vanishing from senses.

Her eyes widened as she realized she couldn't parry in time. It would cost her precious chakra, but it was better than a dangerous shoulder wound. She molded chakra to her tenketsu and quickly positioned her body to spin. Her lithe form allowed her to easily fall into _Hakkeshou Kaiten_.

Tsutsuji groaned as yet another attack was foiled. She grunted as her body fell against the rotational defense and was thrown clear from her target. As she reached her apex, she straightened her body and managed a midair spin. She managed to land on her feet; though, she skidded a good distance back. Slipping back to her battle stance, she winced from the pain in her arm.

Noticing her opponent's reaction to the defense, Hinata didn't waste time in filling the air with shuriken. The implements of death soared straight for her opponent who quickly switched weapon hands. If there were one absolute among shinobi, they were resourceful. Nonetheless, it was a distraction she was going to capitalize on.

Tsutsuji's eyes widened as she watched their quarry's rapid approach. Molding chakra to her throat, she prepared her technique one more time. With a steady hand and calm mind, she deflected each sharp instrument before activating her technique and rushing her unsuspecting prey.

Hinata noticed something after her opponent seemingly disappeared. She never saw the shuriken actually fall to the ground. The magenta eyed woman deflected them and disappeared while they were still in the air, but she was attacking from behind while they lay motionless on the ground.

Switching tactics, she parried with two fingers instead of a full palm strike. The change up threw the older woman off balance for a moment, but she pressed her attack anyway. The lavender eyed girl managed to suppress a smirk. _"Neji-niisan was right. Waiting to press juuken's greatest advantage is most efficient."_

Tsutsuji didn't understand the change in parrying strikes, but she figured she could press the advantage. A full-armed strike was certainly stronger than two, little fingers barely grazing her in time to throw off the trajectory of a punch. As she continued, she felt like she was slowing. She attempted to retreat with eyes wide of realization.

Hinata was _not_ letting her target get away with only a few tenketsu closed. She decided to pull a page from her cousin's book. "You are within my divination. _Hakke Rokujuuyonsho_!" It was a bit dramatic and would cut her chakra reserve, but it would take one combatant out of the fight. She also knew whatever the weird technique her opponent was using was worth taking out completely.

Tsutsuji held her breath. She knew she couldn't escape what was coming. She didn't mold chakra for her technique. She had tried when she dodged, and nothing happened. She braced herself for the pain which almost immediately ensued. Her body flared as she was cut off from her chakra. As she fell boneless to the ground, she could only watch as their quarry turned to her partner. She couldn't even call out.

Hinata made a beeline towards Mizukura and Kinofuji. She wasn't sure how long the captain of the guard could last against a full-fledged shinobi. Demons had no ninja village; though, some of the daimyo priestess' personal guards came from villages with hidden techniques. Those traditions, however, could not hold a candle to the full might of even a regular shinobi from one of the major villages.

As she approached, she evaluated the situation. More guards were either dead or incapacitated. They weren't casualties of any Doton technique. They majority were asleep under a genjutsu or suffered from electrical shock and burns. She was expecting exactly what she saw. After Kinofuji utilized a genjutsu, she took a closer look at his tenketsu. His primary chakra nature was Raiton.

She felt confident she could handle both missing nin if she handled them carefully and smartly. The woman seemed like the primary attacker in the partnership. The man used an armor technique to throw off any such perception. As she approached, she observed how accurate her prediction was.

Kinofuji was skilled with genjutsu but little else. His taijutsu was so sloppy most advanced guards easily held their own. His ninjutsu was only strong enough to incapacitate or eliminate the less seasoned warriors. Against Mizukura, his combination of skills only just kept him alive.

Mizukura was a surprise to her. He was strong and agile, and his grace with the two-handed katana belied his age and build. He appeared to be in his early twenties and lean but thin. Though he was no samurai, he still dressed as one. He was a smart and capable leader, and his men responded to that.

Deciding she had time to catch her breath and come up with a plan of attack, Hinata took an opportunity to duck behind a bolder. Kinofuji might not be as strong a melee combatant as Tsutsuji, but he was still a veteran warrior. A direct confrontation would prove dangerous at best, and he still had that genjutsu that would have fooled her Byakugan.

She was nearly home free. She just had to incapacitate one more enemy before binding both. It would be best to question them for their motives before handing them over to Kumo. She hated to admit it, but it was better to have the Raikage owe Konoha a favor than seek continued animosity.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared to run around the bolder and approach Kinofuji from behind. Before she had the chance, she noticed something very odd. Unlike her battle with Tsutsuji, her vision was blurred just like when…the genjutsu was activated at the beginning of the conflict.

She quickly went through the steps Kurenai taught her and freed herself from the enemy technique. She was glad she did. As soon as she was freed, she saw her remaining opponent standing over an unconscious young girl, ready to plunge a dagger into her heart. "Momiji!"

She didn't know how; she didn't care how. Somehow, Momiji was taken from Shion, and she was being held at knifepoint. A quick sweep with the Byakugan revealed the daimyo priestess to be in perfect health if unconscious from a paralyzing genjutsu. However, she was moving long before that. She pumped more chakra to her legs than she thought she knew how.

Kinofuji was _not_ about to kill such an innocent, sweet girl!

As she raced forward, killer intent and rage boiled forth. No innocent should have to suffer like that. She thought about how many times Naruto might have felt like that. How many times had he been threatened for something he had no control over? She had somebody to protect right then, and no time or distance was going to keep her from accomplishing just that.

Kinofuji never knew what hit him. His mind flirted with unconsciousness as his head rolled. He felt like he was surrounded by something cold and damp. No, he was sopping wet, and he was _freezing_. He opened his eyes, suddenly fully alert of his surroundings. He was keenly aware of an important fact. A very, _very_ angry young woman was standing in front of him with hands outstretched and glowing, lavender eyes.

Hinata cracked a sinister smirked. "He attacked the girl. We should kill him." Her tone of voice was as dark and baleful as her expression. Inside Hinata's head, a debate raged on how to deal with the latest opponent.

* * *

"We need to keep him alive for questioning. We don't know if he's worth anything to Kumo dead." A voice filled with the anger of righteous furry reasoned, but it was gentle enough to fit the normally shy girl.

"No! We have another one we can question! Just a little more… Just a little more…" As she spoke, the water encompassing the opponent slowly crept further up his form. It was at his collar, his neck, and finally his chin.

"What if killing him threatens diplomacy?"

"Who cares about Kumo anyway?!"

"Are you angry at _him_ or that _woman_?!"

* * *

The yellow-green eyed man only saw a long pause as the spiteful and indignant personalities silently argued semantics. "Oh, you're just giving me reasons to kill them both!"

"Wait!" Kinofuji was beyond confused. He could understand her escaping his genjutsu. He could understand her beating his partner. The crazy act, however, he _was not_ buying. Was she _really_ talking to herself about 'reasons' to kill him?

On the plus side, time was all he needed to mold chakra to form a Doton technique. He knew it wasn't his primary chakra nature, but it was better than staying stuck. "Why are you defending that creature?" He needed to buy time any way possible.

Hinata squeezed her hands into fists, and the water constricted around her target. She felt his sharp intake of breath through her link to the Suiton. "Oh, stop struggling fish. If anybody is a 'thing' to be killed here, it's you."

* * *

The gentle yet indignant personality decided to respond. "On that, we can agree. However, we can't kill him."

The malignant voice grumbled but conceded. "Fine, we kill him _after_ we get some answers."

* * *

Hinata closed her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. When she opened her eyes, the glow had receded slightly. "What is your mission?" Her voice was almost normal, but it was obvious just how angry she was. She was almost fit to be tied, and the former Kumo shinobi knew it.

She didn't like it when he straightened his shoulders and formed his lips into a tight, thin line. She controlled the Suiton to cover his face. For a moment, he just held his breath. A confident smirk crossed her lips as his body soon told him he needed oxygen. When he struggled against the tight grip of her _Yakedo_ technique, she removed the Suiton from his nose and mouth only. "You were saying?"

Kinofuji resisted spitting at her feet. "I have my own pride as a shinobi! I won't…" He was cut off by a strangled noise as the Suiton covered his offending orifice once more, and he struggled to breath through his nose.

Hinata almost laughed. She had control of the situation. As her Byakugan was still active, she could watch her captive while Mizukura retrieved his partner. She was amused that the captain of Shion's guards felt he had to tie up the helpless magenta-eyed woman.

She returned her attention to her captive and again released his mouth. "I'm not all too concerned if you die. You're target was obviously the girl as the daimyo is unharmed. Maybe…" Mizukura was surprised as Tsutsuji was wrested from his grasp by a glob of water. "…now you'll be more talkative."

Though conscious, she couldn't fight her captor's powerful chakra nature technique. With her tenketsu closed, she was powerless to do anything. Her eyes went wide as her entire body was covered by the Suiton and breath stolen from her. Her eyes pleaded to be released.

Hinata returned her attention to her breathing captive. "You're traitors to your village, so I doubt they'll much care _what_ happens to you." The evil look on her face did _not_ belong there. As bubbles escaped from her breathless captive, she patiently waited.

Kinofuji couldn't just let Tsutsuji die, especially in such a humiliating manner. Even if he had pride, the young Hyuuga looked dead serious. "We were asked to kill the creature…" The Suiton constricted around him. "…the girl by a village in Demons. They apparently fear her ability to…communicate with creatures of the forest."

He yelped in pain as the Suiton further constricted around his hapless form. "See, that wasn't so hard." Hinata cooed. She motioned Mizukura towards her captives. Her chakra was running low. Normally, the spiteful personality could play a bit longer, but she'd used a large chunk of her reserves in the first fight and in dispelling two genjutsu.

"Tie these two up so they can't use jutsu or clever tricks to escape." She quickly ordered Shion's captain of the guard as she fought both fatigue and signs of it. "We'll decide what to do with them later." The spiteful personality actually tried to sound more like the normal, shy heiress.

"You stupid Hyuuga brat!" Tsutsuji yelled in fury. She was already tied; though, her restraints would have to be reworked to prevent any shinobi techniques. "It's because of your clan my otouto and _true_ Raikage are dead!" She couldn't stand being defeated by her hated enemy and ultimate quarry.

"Quiet Tsutsuji, we're at their mercy." The yellow-green eyed man spoke solemnly to his partner. He couldn't figure an easy way out of their predicament, and surrender would at least keep them alive until he could. He was glad to see his partner take his advice.

Hinata really didn't have time to contemplate what the magenta eyed woman said. Mizukura finished tying her partner up as she finished her outburst. She released them as he finished reprimanding her. She fell to her knees and flirted with unconsciousness for a moment before falling face first.

Mizukura caught her before she could take a dirt nap. He heaved a sigh of relief after checking her pulse. It was as steady as her breathing. Rolling her onto her back, he looked to Momiji lying not too far away. He narrowed his eyes as he pondered finishing the duo off himself. However, his concern for the girl and young woman outweighed his desire for revenge.

He quickly took control of the situation by ordering his most accomplished troops to escort the prisoners to an easy location to watch and replace the simple ropes with manacles designed for shinobi. He was not about to take chances.

With the first task at hand complete, he sent men to care for the wounded and awaken those still trapped under genjutsu. He personally saw to Shion's revival. He had to ensure her safety above all else, and he also wanted to show her Momiji's security. He explained the situation and events that were missed.

With Hinata unconscious, camp set up, and nervous troops in relative safety, he found the luxury to mull over the words the female captive spoke just before her male partner basically told her to be smart. He didn't know all the details, but he was intelligent enough to put two plus two together.

Because of Shion's powers, there were always several captains of the guard in waiting. Those men were always kept up to date of current events in Demons and important intelligence from abroad. As allies of Fire, they knew of the feud the Hyuuga had with Kumo. A noble clan does not soon forget a political plot to capture their young heirs.

It was something he learned only after becoming a captain in waiting two years prior, but disputes and possible problems in diplomacy were part and parcel to his duties should his services become necessary. As fate would have it, his services became necessary shortly after a certain young blond shinobi from Konoha saved Demons, and subsequently the world, from certain doom.

Mizukura almost kicked himself. His thoughts were wandering. If he remembered correctly, the plot was subverted by the head of the clan. When the failing made it back home to Kumo, political turmoil threatened civil war. In the end, the Raikage at the time was usurped by a younger, more charismatic leader.

Obviously, some in Kumo held resentment towards the Hyuuga for the fall of the old regime. He could only speculate they made her a new target for glory, revenge, or some other nefarious plot. He heaved a sigh. "I didn't join the daimyo's court guard for this…"

* * *

Tsutsuji held a glower as she looked to Kinofuji. "She's a Hyuuga! How could you lose to her?" She was obviously furious. When he didn't answer, she continued her tirade. "You even failed to fulfill our contract! Now we're stuck in an enemy camp, and we'll probably be escorted to Konoha where we'll be tried and executed!" She was livid.

He sighed and spoke carefully. "My genjutsu should have worked on her. I can only guess she's had an extraordinary education in genjutsu." He paused for a moment. "Besides, she's incapacitated for the time being. We should watch the regular soldiers for an opportune time to escape."

She exhaled sharply. "And how long is that supposed to take?!" His expression told her he didn't know. She was _not_ satisfied. "We were so close to recapturing my otouto's honor…"

"Calm yourself, Tsutsuji. We'll have our chance." A sinister smile spread across his lips. "We'll be able to march back to Kumo with our heads held high under the true Raikage's banner."

An almost gleeful glint appeared in her eyes. "Ah yes, I can imagine it." She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. "We'll have the Hyuuga girl for embarrassing us. We can either take her eyes and kill her to experiment with or give her to our sochi"

Though shackled, the treacherous duo remained patient as they discussed plans for escape. Their guards were just outside hearing range for their whispers, but they were certain eyes were on them. They were careful, and they would bide their time.

* * *

Hiashi glared at the man sitting across the table from him. He was a young man from a noble clan of Iwa, and he was next in line to inherit headship. The Hyuuga patriarch wasn't settling his expression into a glower because he disliked or distrusted the young man. His expression wasn't stern because he felt insulted.

He was wondering if the fates were actually conspiring against him.

The young man was the eldest son of a shinobi who 'defected' to Konoha. It was more accurate to say his father was disowned for a battlefield failure and fled to another village where he never divulged valued secrets. The worst they could say he did was set up the shortest lived restaurant in history.

Hiashi allowed his gaze to fall back to the parchment lying in front of him, ready to be signed. Really, the proceedings were moving along far too easily and far too smoothly. Not being the learning experience he had expected for Hanabi, he released his daughter to entertain herself.

"They really aren't unfair trade agreements." The young man, Shoka Yashiro, finally spoke up after a long silence. His chestnut brown hair was the spitting image of his father's, but his bluish green eyes were likely his mother's. He was plain to look at, but his skills in diplomacy were not to be trifled.

"No in fact, they are more than fair." Hiashi acquiesced. "I have to wonder…" He paused to gauge his counterpart's reactions. "…if there might be a catch." He had expected to be in Suna for many weeks or even months negotiating and renegotiating trade deals. Though he might be spending a month, give or take a few days, he was spending far less time with merchants he thought he would have the most opposition with.

Yashiro smirked. "No, there's no catch. You sign there, and Iwa promises not practice unfair trade agreements with Suna." He paused to watch eyes narrow on him. "Besides, we set this all up for the explicit purposes of calling out a representative of Konoha to a neutral location to discuss and even negotiate trade deals between our villages."

Hiashi was at a loss. He was certain resentment still existed between the two villages. Even if they didn't get along, _normally_ they set up trade agreements and routes in peacetime. There had been no trade between Konoha and Iwa for over a decade. He had to question that fact. "Why the sudden change of heart? We've been trying diplomacy for years."

Yashiro sighed and leaned forward. "We've recently come across some information of mutual concern, and we've also recovered a few items we felt necessary for any such talks."

Hiashi raised a brow. He was curious. "What information and items are you referring to?"

Yashiro held a package out to the Hyuuga clan head. As the pale-eyed patriarch received it and opened it, he answered. "Actually, we've been ignoring a lot of trade requests over the years because we couldn't return certain treasures of war. We felt you'd make demands of reparations, considering how soundly you won against us."

Hiashi looked at the lost heirloom for a long moment before returning his gaze to his counterpart. "The Third never asked for such considerations. However, such a gesture only enhances your position." He paused, halfway between pocketing the family scroll and returning it.

"Oh, don't hesitate to take that." Yashiro smiled at the powerful man's hesitation. "It's yours regardless of the outcome of our talks." He politely bowed in response to the noble head's grateful bow. "We have more to return, but I'd like to further our economic growth as well. You can understand."

Hiashi set his eyes on his counterpart's. "Does this have to do with the information you came across?" Even distracted, he had a keen mind. He remembered each topic they had discussed, and he wanted to know exactly what was on the mind of any diplomats he was dealing with.

"Ah, you have a sharp mind for detail." Yashiro's smile almost slipped. "As I said, the information if of mutual concern. Actually, I imagine Kage from each village is interested in it." He paused and leaned in almost conspiratorially. "Akatsuki…"

Hiashi involuntarily felt a sharp intake of breath. The mentioned organization was most certainly a mutual concern. Each major village had at least one bijuu thanks to Konoha's First. It was a foolhardy belief in a balance of power. If rumors were to be believed, almost all bijuu had already been captured.

Yashiro took the older man's silence as permission to continue. "This organization has S-class criminals from every nation, great or small. I hate to admit it, but they're a common threat. I wouldn't be surprised if some high-level meeting among our leaders were to convene _just_ for them."

Hiashi nodded. He could agree to the assessment. Akatsuki was a big enough threat for the entirety of the shinobi world. It wasn't a problem for just one nation. They'd even killed Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin. He also didn't miss any hidden meanings. "You mean to strengthen our villages through economic and diplomatic ties." It wasn't a question but a blunt statement.

Yashiro nodded. "You can't argue how much we can gain from all this." He sounded excited. He knew his ideas wouldn't fall onto deaf ears.

Hiashi leaned back and scratched his chin. The young man was eager and genuine; he'd give him at least that much credit. He returned his attention to the parchment. There was nothing contained therein which would harm Konoha or her interests. It was also only the beginning of trade negotiations with Iwa. With a light breath, he applied his signature.

Yashiro's smile beamed as he stood to shake the Hyuuga patriarch's hand. Though the gesture was not reciprocated, he continued unabashed. "You won't regret this. Iwa will honor our end of the bargain. We can discuss the exact details later. Shall we reconvene after you finish dealing with Suna merchants?"

Hiashi nodded. "That sounds agreeable." He was interested in talking with his trade partners in Suna. He wanted to ensure the uninterrupted flow of goods between villages. Their economies and, as Yashiro put it, diplomacy depended on honest handling of merchandise. They couldn't afford slipups at such a crucial time.

* * *

Elsewhere in Suna, Hanabi decided to observe her peers from another village. She wasn't sure she liked the genin who escorted her father and her to Suna, but they weren't necessarily bad. They were…unique, maybe a bit eccentric. She sighed and rolled her eyes remembering their antics.

The boys were obviously infatuated with the girl. The girl was obviously more interested in, well, her sister's crush. The group dynamic was thrown off a bit with the emotional angst, but unrequited love was the least of their concerns.

From what she observed, they still needed plenty of training before they were ready for any advancement exams. Too often, Tsume had to try playing peacemaker between Mori and Hishu. Too often, Kankuro had to stop the former girl from beating latter boys.

She couldn't deny their combat skills. They were probably top tier among genin ranks. They at least had the modesty to realize their jonin instructor was holding back against them. Their forms showed their inexperience, but they followed any instructions to practice the basics without complaint.

After their practice, Kankuro let them do as they pleased. Hanabi was surprised to see Tsume approach her. "Hey…" The girl with eyes like melted chocolate greeted. "Want to see the greenhouses. They have the most fragrant flowers you'll find!" She knew what to expect from the boys.

Mori sighed as quietly as he could. He knew her lack of sight enhanced her other senses, including hearing. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. I need to see the weapon shop about my Karasu." He wasn't telling a lie at least. He needed to constantly keep up with his stock of weapons for his puppet.

Hishu cringed and took a step back. _"What's with girls and those stupid greenhouses?"_ He couldn't understand how anybody could stand what he saw as boring stuff. "I-I'll see you guys tomorrow, too. I gotta get home for some family training. Later!"

Tsume stuck her tongue out at her retraining teammates. They could be annoying sometimes. She turned back to Hanabi with a wide grin awaiting an answer. The young Hyuuga girl finally answered. "Yes, I think I'd like that."

* * *

I'm sorry this release is late, but login and submissions were down Saturday through Monday 'for a few minutes' due to some 'technical glitch' in the system. Yeah, anyway I had to reupload this chapter a few times and skim through to find any new technique names and/or terms I used. I hope I caught them all... Two seems a little low to me for some reason.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,021  
Story Page Count: 17.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Katon: Endan _-_ Fire Release: Fireball_: A low to medium level technique, _Endan_ relases a large ball of fire to incinerate its target.

sochi: son

**Edition 2.0:** Some rather large typos have been brought to my attention, and they are fixed.


	18. Chapter 16: Judge and Executioner

TimeShifter: I think I caught all my mistakes... Sorry, I try to catch typos like that before publishing. As for Naruto and Kyuubi, I thought I implied that they had returned to the balancing portion after some failed merging practice. Anyway, hope that clarified. As for Hinata, I'm no one-trick pony. You'll see how it turns out soon enough.

samueltm2: Thanks, I try to keep things entertaining.

* * *

**Chapter 16:  
Judge and Executioner**

Tsutsuji rubbed her back against the nearby rock face. With her wrists and ankles shackled, it was all she could do to reach an annoying itch. She looked to her partner and mate. "You got anything yet? This itch is really starting to bug me!"

Kinofuji eyed the entrance to the shallow cave. From the signs, it was early morning. "No, nothing yet." He replayed the events of the night. "It was too dark to see, so they probably didn't account for our enhanced senses. The guards changed regularly every two hours."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, tell me something I don't know!" She was agitated. They hadn't gotten any sleep all night; though, they pretended to doze off to keep the guards' defenses low. However, the bulk of her agitation was towards the Hyuuga girl compounded by the infernal itch!

"I know how you're feeling." He rolled his shoulders as he attempted to ignore his own itch. "Don't worry. We'll regain our honor and return to Kumo in triumph. The false Raikage _will_ be overthrown just as he usurped the _true_, late Raikage-sama." He reveled in the smile he brought to his partner's face.

"You two are rather delusional." The immobilized former-Kumo shinobi looked up to see the regular guards' captain, Mizukura. "Though we are just a regular army to you, we each hail from villages specialized in training for the daimyo's protection." He paused for dramatic effect. "We can even mold chakra into jutsu."

He wore a sly smile seeing their wide-eyed, wordless responses. "I know what you're thinking. A backwater land like Demons makes alliances with the elemental nations for the expressed purpose of defense, and those alliances don't allow for hidden villages." He paused to gauge their reactions.

When it looked like one was about to speak, he indicated silence. "You two have talked enough through the night. I personally selected the guards to watch you. You can't use jutsu for privacy, and you assumed we couldn't use jutsu to listen in on you. I think I know a bit more about you two, now."

He took his time to find a comfortable spot to sit and plopped down. He continued to wear his sly smile as he watched Hinata's captives. They were hers, no questions asked; he wasn't about to dispute any claim to them. He held no fantasy that he could defeat them.

For several long moments, there was nothing but silence. Whenever either captive looked to speak up, Mizukura immediately silenced them. He shifted to one side and finally spoke up. "I won't mince words. I've contemplated, several times mind you, ending you for what you were planning on doing to Momiji-sama."

He leaned his head back and lightly tapped his crown against the cave wall. "We're all rather fond of the sprout, and I already know what you're going to accuse her of." He paused to look them in the eye to emphasize his point. "I don't really care."

His smile actually broadened at the enraged reactions of the prisoners before him. "Don't worry; the village that contracted you will be dealt with appropriately. I doubt _everybody_ was involved, but that's beside the point."

"Oh!" He slammed a fist into an open palm. "That's right; you were curious about villages teaching jutsu. Well, Demons has agreed not to raise shinobi. We have none. What we do have, however, are individuals trained in specific arts. I, for example, come from the village specializing in barriers."

He looked pointedly to the male of the duo. "I'm sure you know better than anybody. _You_ were the one to break through…" He looked to the female of the duo. "…and it protected the carriage from your fireworks display." He enjoyed their wordless glowers. He was agitating them, and it took their minds off any escape plans.

He leaned forward, again silencing them from speaking up. "You seem to underestimate a lot of things. We looked like a regular army, so you attacked on that assumption. You also underestimate my ability to coordinate my men and Hyuuga-sama's abilities."

"I hate you; I really do." He emphasized his words with his glower. "I'm going to recommend that you two be executed before handing you over to Kumo. I looked you up, and it seems the reward won't suffer much if you can't be captured alive. There's not even a bonus offered up by family members."

Mizukura was most pleased with their expressions. Tsutsuji could hardly contain her rage. She knew her tormenting captor had to be lying. Their son would _never _condone a 'dead or alive' bounty. Kinofuji was dubious, but he knew no reason to lie. He also accepted that the captain of the guard held the child they were contracted to kill close to his heart.

Mizukura finally rose. "Well, this has been a nice conversation." He accepted their hateful glares. In fact, he reveled in making such malevolent shinobi sweat. He kept his confident air as he strode to the mouth of the cave. "I'll see you later." He paused for a moment at the threshold. "Oh, don't forget… We're listening." He pointed to his ear before walking out of sight.

Tsutsuji and Kinofuji fumed as they went over what they were just told. They both realized rather quickly that the captain of the guard was no fool. His monologue made it seem like he was telling them a lot, but they knew they had little real, useful information. He came to gloat and weaken their resolve. The information on the bounty lowered their spirits the most.

"He played us for fools..." The yellow-green eyed man stated with venom.

"I know…" The magenta eyed woman trailed off as she leaned against the cave wall.

* * *

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, emblazoning the faces of Hokage past and present. The businesses in Konoha were still setting up, preparing for the parade of customers. Dark clouds were rolling in from the east, so farmers were preparing crops for needed rain.

In the early morning hours, two chunin on guard duty mumbled between each other. Despite the beauty of the sunrise, they were in awe of another sight. Kiba and Lee knew how rare it was to see the prestigious personage out and about at such an early hour, and she looked agitated from having to wait.

They looked at their papers and exchanged a few words. They were expecting a foreign shinobi, and he was already hours late. The rage the ceremoniously dressed personage radiated even caused her _visible _ANBU bodyguard to back off. Tsunade, the Fifth, was the last person you stood up.

* * *

"You want me to do what?!" Isaribi nearly yelled. She knew her mission was to take Kanaeru, Gayt, and Star around Fire. It was even a chance to introduce Sasame to her knew land. Her mission statement was even left very open ended to accommodate a wide variety of deviations or objectives.

Kanaeru shushed her overacting guide. "It's not that big a deal. I have some information I need to pass on, and, in turn, I need some information." She paused to allow a wide grin to take her features. "Besides, I know you and that super pervert have all sorts of juicy tidbits like that."

"Wh-What kind of information?" Sasame managed to squeak in. She wasn't _completely_ innocent of being a double-agent, but she at least wasn't a security risk for Konoha. She could only hope the red-headed kunoichi wasn't either.

Kanaeru waved her hands in a placating manner. Though only one actually asked the question, both wanted to know the answer. _"At least they're concerned for their home, even if they aren't originally from there."_ She was pleased with that at least. "It just concerns a promise I made with the daimyo of the land."

Isaribi set her face into a stony grimace. "Again, what kind of information is it?" She paused for a moment but interrupted when the older woman was about to speak. "Remember, this entire mission hinges on _my_ cooperation. If I don't like your answer or I think Konoha might be in danger, I might decide to just guide us straight back home."

Kanaeru couldn't help it. She let out a long string of guffaws, catching both teenage girls off guard. Gayt crossed his arms as he watched his master, and Star seemed to flicker between blue and silver. It was a long moment before the red-head regained her composure.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry." She wiped the last tears of merriment from her eyes. "You think _I'd_ put Konoha in danger? This is not my first visit, and I very much doubt it'll be my last." A broad smirk decorated her face.

While Sasame was speechless, Isaribi crossed her arms over her chest. She was not simply giving in. "Then why do you want to go to _that_ location? It sounds like you're looking for rock nin." She did not enjoy the prospect. Though they experienced a relative peace, Iwa never really got along with Konoha.

Kanaeru blinked. "Wasn't I clear? I want to go to that location because I have information to deliver. I _am_ looking for Iwa shinobi." With a roll of her eyes, she decided she'd had her fun. "I can promise Konoha won't be hurt in any way. The information I want to pass on is vital to the continued relations between Whirlpool and Earth. It might even help negotiations between Fire and Earth." She was not exaggerating.

Isaribi considered it for a moment. If the red-head was indeed trustworthy as Tsunade said, there could be no doubt at her words. "Okay, we'll go." She paused to see her companions' reactions. She could only read the medic, surprise. "Sasame and I will accompany you in _Henge_. If we suspect a double-cross, be prepared for the consequences."

Kanaeru couldn't keep herself from smirking broadly. "Then I have nothing to worry about!" She stated proudly. She wasn't planning on giving away anything that could hurt Konoha. Her nephew loved the village too much. She had her own reasons, but she couldn't reveal them just yet.

There was no way she was going to betray Tsunade's trust. There was also no way she was going to risk hurting diplomatic ties with Earth. She preferred good terms. Besides, the past few weeks had been unexpectedly fruitful too. The scrolls the slug sannin provided her were an invaluable tool.

She learned the Fuuin Minato used was an incomplete version of what she taught him all those years ago, when she was a hostage living in Konoha. It was hastily constructed, but it combined some powerful countermeasures to keep Kyuubi in line, just in case he tried to rage out of control.

There were nights when she wanted to scream in frustration. Even as the foremost seal master in Whirlpool, it was difficult to work around the seal or do much of anything to it without risking Naruto's health or life. The worst part was that she wanted to find out the fate of the tane because Minato's seal prevented it from properly maturing.

Isaribi and Sasame had no way of knowing. She was careful whenever she studied Tsunade's gifts, and she had Gayt on watch. She knew such actions only increased their suspicions, but her work was delicate. Neither girl was a seal master, nor would they fully understand her situation without learning of her circumstances. She hated lying, but it was necessary for her nephew's security.

* * *

Fukusaku lay on the ground panting. He never imagined the absolutely necessary merging training would run into as many difficulties as it had with Naruto. Kyuubi kept interfering, and the knuckleheaded blond kept complaining about how 'cramped' his body already was.

He was forced to admit. The boy caught on quick. He would be the best senjutsu users in ages…if he could just master merging! It didn't help that the 'looking in two directions' conundrum he presented the boy actually gave him ideas. _"What was Jiraiya teaching this tadpole?"_ There were other mentors he'd like to question, but Iruka, Kakashi, and Ebisu held no contract with toads.

Fukusaku was at a loss when it came to Naruto. The boy even infuriated him when he went off to train by himself. He managed to find him one time. He was adding elemental chakra to what looked like a _Rasengan_. The idea alone surprised the sagely toad. Gamabunta once mentioned his favorite disciple, Minato, working on something of similar design.

That one experience was short lived. Naruto winced and dispelled the powerful technique. He then looked to the trees and called Fukusaku out. The chakra sensing capabilities of senjutsu were astounding, but the sagely toad had thought he hid his presence well enough to avoid detection.

The toad elder had to admit. The blond was less anxious than the previous day. He was concentrating better and complaining just as much as ever. He was glad to see the return to normalcy, but he couldn't place the sudden change in attitude. He was contented to watch after the boy's training and see what crazy ideas the number one, knuckleheaded, unpredictable ninja might come up with.

* * *

Hiashi sat on his hotel bed studying the scroll Yashiro 'gifted' him with. It had been missing since the beginning of the last great Ninja War. In fact, the Hyuuga only knew it was stolen during a training exercise and not by whom. Though they now knew the answer, it was safely in his hands.

He knew only a Hyuuga could master the techniques outlined in the scroll. He, in fact, knew several and had passed them on as best he could. As the scroll described only a few techniques and none of the weaknesses of his clan, his only fear was that any rock nin who studied it might have learned defenses against them.

As he studied the scroll, he activated his Byakugan. He knew it was the genuine article, and his enhanced sight even revealed no notes had been written _on_ it. He couldn't guarantee notes hadn't been written about it or a duplicate didn't exist, despite Yashiro's assurance.

Nonetheless, he prepared for the day's proceedings mentally as he rerolled the scroll. He would have his daughters study the techniques contained within as soon as he returned to Konoha. As he rose from his seated position, he heard a rapping at his door. With a raised eyebrow, he answered. "Enter."

Hanabi carefully opened the door and politely entered. As soon as she closed the door, she bowed. Her manners were as impeccable as ever. "Good morning tou-san…" She began with slight hesitation. "I have a request."

He was somewhat surprised, but he nodded his head to give her permission to continue. "I have been invited by Kankuro-san's genin to participate in practice today." She paused. "In fact, Tsume-chan…" She paused. "I mean Tomoyuki-san insisted I spar with her…" She trailed off expecting a negative response.

Hiashi considered the invitation for a moment. He knew something of the Tomoyuki clan. Because of the Hyuuga rivalry with another Suna clan, the Kagennotsuki, and because he was head of the clan, he was expected to know something of many of the major clans from other villages. "If I remember correctly, members of the Tomoyuki clan are blind and rely on their other senses for combat." He politely left out their kekkei genkai.

He, however, also remembered the blind girl's male teammates. While one was a puppet master, the other wore an ornate tattoo seal proudly along his forehead. The team was well balanced, in his honest opinion. As his daughter resisted fidgeting in anticipation, he came to a conclusion. "I had hoped to take you on some of my morning negotiations, but I see no objections in allowing combat training."

Hanabi managed to keep her excitement under control. Though she wasn't sure she liked the strange shinobi, she was sure she didn't dislike them. They were strange, but so were some of her sister's friends and peers. She politely bowed. "Thank you tou-san."

He nodded. Yes, he was being generous. After a moment of consideration and his daughter wondering why he hadn't dismissed her, he came to another conclusion. "However, I brought you with me for diplomacy training. I shall see you at lunch, and you will accompany me to afternoon negotiations. I, however, shall release you to do as you please this evening." He paused to emphasize his next question. "Understood?"

She knew how to take his question. It barely held the inflection of a question. It was a solid statement _not_ to be disobeyed. The terms weren't too harsh, however. She barely contained her enthusiasm and would have run to embrace her father. Her etiquette training won out in the end, and she returned her acquiescence. "Of course tou-san, where shall we meet?"

He explained the location before dismissing her. It was another of his contacts. This contact owned a prominent restaurant within Suna, and he produced some of the best juices and sake in the elemental nations. Losing a contract with him would hurt some other important trade deals, so it was important to be prompt.

* * *

Tsunade was not a happy camper as she stormed into her office and slammed the door behind her. A second later, Shizune quietly opened the door and scampered inside. She wasn't afraid of her mentor, not particularly. She just knew better than to disturb the slug sannin when she was in one of her moods.

"The nerve of that guy!" She nearly splintered her desk as she slammed an open palm into it. "He was supposed to be here _today_!" Some citizens outside stopped to look to the open window of their leader's office. "Today!" She furiously intoned as she started pacing. "Is Raikage-baka trying to say he's better than me?!"

Shizune went wide-eyed as she nearly panicked. "I'm sure it's nothing like that, Tsunade-sama!" She was frantic; she had to calm the Fifth down. "Something might have come up, or…or…he was attacked on his way here!" Though obviously still angry, the pacing stopped. "It's possible a patrol stopped him, too."

Tsunade felt her brow twitch. Of course, her apprentice made sense. She was probably just overreacting. Delays were entirely possible, especially if he was attacked by bandits or stopped by a patrol. An angry smirk took her face at the first possibility her apprentice presented. "If he had something come up, it had better be important for not sending word ahead."

Shizune gulped. She knew that tone of voice. If their guest stopped for any reason deemed unimportant, the slug sannin planned retribution. It wouldn't be considered an act of war because _he_ was being rude. She still worried.

* * *

As the morning hours passed, the prisoners grew more restless in their cave. They grew more and more agitated as the itch grew in annoyance and strength with each passing hour. Unknowingly, they were releasing more and more killer intent, and they seemed to radiate chakra, though in small amounts.

Tsutsuji was standing and feverously trying to rub her back against the nearby cave wall. "Do you have anything yet?" She nearly snapped at her partner. She wasn't mad at him, but the itch was starting to infuriate her more than their ultimate failure and defeat at the hands of a Hyuuga.

Kinofuji tried to restrain an increasingly frequent twitch. He was doing his best to ignore the itch in favor of coming up with a plan of escape. "No, I'm working on it." He just had to find a way to make his illusions work with his hands tied and an annoyance breaking his concentration.

They also knew their voices' volume had risen as their tempers had flared. They were just shy of yelling, and they wanted to scream in pained frustration. They even shared thoughts on the matter. Had their captors used some kind of itching powder or the like to improve their odds of holding the treacherous duo captive?

They heard bodies drop, and they lurched forward in sudden comfort. The infernal itches were gone. Kinofuji almost let out an ecstatic moan. Tsutsuji gritted her teeth as her back complained about how sore and raw it was. They looked to the cave entrance, and their jaws dropped at the sight.

Shackled as they were, they backed against the cave wall. They were at once expectant and fearful. They didn't know the man's intentions, but they were leaning towards the idea that he wasn't there for their best interests. He wore a scowl on his chiseled face, and his hitai-ate glistened in the late morning light.

"What are you doing here?!" They yelled at once. Fear bit their tone, and they felt like sinking into the walls as he solemnly stepped forward. He seemed to take some measure of delight in their torment, but he seemed disgusted in them in general. They knew who he was, but they had no idea why he was there.

He was a short man who walked with a slight hunch. He wore a dark blue cloak to hide it, but the treacherous shinobi knew he had a hunchback. He was old, as showcased by his wrinkles, sunken eyes, and silvery-white hair. His eyes, however, were ageless. He was intimidating with red sclera and brilliant, yellow irises. His eyes distracted from his unassuming build and lanky limbs. He even wore a bokken at his side.

"What a pitiful sight…" The elderly man wiped sweat from his brow, removing unruly hair from his hitai-ate. It revealed what the traitors already knew. He was loyal to Kumo. "You two were among the greatest warriors under the former Raikage's banner. Now look at you…" He trailed off in his own thoughts.

"Wh-…?" Kinofuji managed to recover first. "What are you doing here?" The intense bloodlust he suddenly felt from the old man instantly silenced him and caused him to fall to his knees.

"You've become missing nin. Your own sochi even abandoned you." He eyed the former Kumo shinobi with shame and disgust. "Raikage-sama was willing to let bygones be bygones, yet you chose to abandon your own kin." He sighed and continued. "In fact, he even gave all hunters permission to _escort_ you home alive…as long as you met certain criteria."

"Ha, that's a joke!" Tsutsuji met the same bloodlust as her partner, but she continued. "We _never_ abandoned Kumo! We left that fake Raikage! We _will_ return under the true Raikage's banner with either the eyes or life of a Hyuuga." She lost control of her body as a jolt of electricity ran through her, and she fell to her knees.

The elder shinobi lowered his hand. "Silence you fool!" He walked over to them and harshly grabbed them by the nape of their necks. "You will face judgment. We shall face your captors and see if you meet Raikage-sama's criteria or not." Before they could protest, they disappeared in a flash of lightning.

* * *

As Mizukura returned to camp, he noticed Hinata awake near the fire pit. He breathed a sigh of relief. Despite his words to his captives in the cave, he wasn't so confident about dealing with them. The shackles might have been specially made for shinobi, but they had no way of handling them in the off chance they escaped.

He approached the young heiress and immediately noticed something was off. Her eyes were glossed over like she was still half-asleep. She was staring into the distance, and she had barely touched the food in front of her. He sat down in front of her to discuss everything that happened after she passed out.

"Hyuuga-sama, your captives have been secured. We are awaiting any orders pertaining to them." He paused to await her answer. Lethargically, she shuffled some food into her mouth and chewed. "Hyuuga-sama, are you okay?" He had no idea why she was suddenly so…withdrawn. He certainly wasn't expecting it.

"Taichou sir, she's been like this since she woke up." He looked to his side to see one of his aides. He was a competent enough man. "She didn't seem to respond to Shion-sama or Momiji-sama this morning either, sir. They are worried about her health." He concluded his report and continued his duties with a nod from his commander.

_"I wonder if it has to do with chakra exhaustion."_ He had no reason to doubt it. He couldn't mold enough chakra to actually suffer from the condition. He could only hope her mind was still at full capacity. "After you defeated those missing nin, I had my men place them in custody as you ordered."

He watched her shuffle some more food into her mouth. "They've been discussing escape, but their bindings prevent the use of all hand-seal dependant jutsu. They also seem to be experiencing some sort of discomfort." He eyed her carefully, but she wasn't responding.

He sighed and continued. "They've also discussed what to do once they returned home. They're delusional to think they can easily capture you and use that as leverage to return to Kumo as heroes." He paused for a moment. "They probably think they can cut through River, but that means they don't know Suna is allied with Konoha."

"Is she feeling better?" Mizukura turned to see Shion approaching him, Momiji hiding behind her as usual. He shook his head in response. "I see…" The daimyo priestess trailed off as she looked to her friend and rival. "Poor Momo-chan's just beside herself. She tried to thank her as soon as she woke up."

The captain of the guard smiled at the small red-head. "I'm sure she heard you just fine. She's just suffering from something ninja call chakra exhaustion." To her confused expression, he continued. "It means she used all her energy and needs time to recover."

"So…So…" She sniffled as tears welled in her eyes. "…nee-chi gonna be otay?" She'd heard Hinata protected her from the 'bad people' who stole her from Shion.

Mizukura prostrated himself before the small girl. "I swear on my life, Momiji-sama, that Hyuuga-sama will be all right." He remained in his position as he listened to the poor girl sniffle. He could tell she believed him, but she was still scared.

Shion let out her own relieved sigh. "Mizukura-taichou, please see to the men and preparations. I want to be in Fire by the end of the day even if Hinata has to ride in the carriage with us. At least then we'll be closer to Konoha for backup."

"Yes Shion-sama, I'll prepare the men. We'll be ready to leave before noon." He was a man of his word, and his daimyo believed him when he made a promise. He stood and watched the young woman and girl for a moment. When they were seated with Hinata, he made his way to his aides. They _would_ be ready to deploy ahead of schedule if possible.

It was some hours later when a crack and pop disturbed their preparations. Mizukura was the first to respond, placing a barrier around Shion and Momiji. Because of her proximity, Hinata was also enclosed in the protective circle. He watched as the dust settled, and he drew his two-handed katana as the figures came into view. "So, you weren't alone."

He ignored the frightened looks Tsutsuji and Kinofuji wore as the third person approached. He wore a clean hitai-ate, likely a sign of continued loyalty to Kumo. He wasn't taking any chances, and the trio was soon surrounded by the best trained Demons had to offer. If however the man was as experienced as he looked, the entire garrison was little more than child's play.

The elderly shinobi raised his hands in a placating manner. "I mean you no harm. I am here to collect my former comrades and dispose of them…if need be." His expression revealed his seriousness.

"What gives you the right?!" Tsutsuji proclaimed. "You know the laws as well as we do! Even if you _can_ take us back to Kumo, you have no right to play executioner!" She didn't know if the current Raikage had changed the law, but she would only recognize laws that existed under the previous.

"Besides…" Kinofuji interjected. "…you haven't explained how you found us." He was curious because, as far as he was aware, there was no concerted effort to find or kill them. They were missing nin, but the current Raikage was, in his opinion, far too forgiving.

The elder ignored them. "Please tell me what these fools have done. If I am to be their judge, I strive to be a fair judge." When he received no answer, he sighed. "I am Hitohana in service of Raikage-sama. Now please, I don't have time to dillydally."

Mizukura looked to the still shackled shinobi before returning his gaze to the elder man. "Actually, I'm curious about their questions. Why are you here, and what laws do they refer to?" He knew he was only stalling, so he used the time to strengthen the barrier.

"Very well taichou, but the barrier is most certainly not necessary." He turned an icy glower to the shackled shinobi. "These hooligans left Kumo when Raikage-sama came to power, and I was opposed to his…generosity. Even Aijsai, their own sochi, opposed such lenient treatment."

He paused. He knew he hadn't answered their questions. "The previous Raikage wasn't a very trusting man. During the 'standard physicals' in his first few years, he had his most talented and trusted Fuuin masters place tracking seals on every shinobi's back."

He held out his left arm and pulled back the sleeve. He concentrated and molded his chakra. A circle with two dots near the center appeared, and Tsutsuji and Kinofuji seemed to suddenly experience extreme discomfort as they fruitlessly tried to scratch their backs.

"I was on my way to Konoha to deliver a message from Raikage-sama to Hokage-sama." He ignored the dangerous looks his former comrades gave him. "It's more accurate to say negotiate terms of some diplomacy to fight against a common foe, but that's beside the point all together."

He allowed the treacherous shinobi to wallow in pain for another moment before deactivating the seal on his arm. "To his most trusted tools, he gave us tracker seals. As I neared Konoha late last night, the seal activated. You two were molding chakra. I, unfortunately, had to make a detour to track you fools down. I even expended chakra to learn your identities to keep tracking you even after you stopped fighting."

Hitohana looked around the camp. "The laws of Kumo state that any shinobi can attempt to capture traitors, but only a hunter can judge and execute them without prejudice." He reached into his dark blue cloaked and produced a mask. He threw it at the feet of the traitors.

As they gasped and made an excellent impression of a fish out of water, he continued. "I never wanted to serve as a hunter under the previous Raikage. I knew what he would do _when_ I passed the hunter examination. My skills would be used exclusively to track and kill any he deemed unworthy or suspected of even the least bit of treachery. Under the current Raikage, I took and passed the examination."

He paused to take in the reactions of everybody gathered. Demon's armed forces made no move to back down. He expected as much. Tsutsuji and Kinofuji nearly wet themselves. He _almost_ smirked at that. He eyed the three protected by the barrier. Of particular interest to him, the shinobi hadn't reacted. He narrowed his eyes as he recognized her eyes.

"A Hyuuga!" He rounded on his former comrades and drew his bokken. It radiated a deep violet as electricity arched around it. "Forget my question taichou. I have all the information I need."

He leveled the business end of his bokken at Tsutsuji's face. His tone made it evident he was talking to Kinofuji, too. "Raikage-sama made it very clear. 'I will allow Tsutsuji and Kinofuji to return to Kumo and their sochi under two circumstances.'" He paused to let the information sink in.

"Let me explain." He looked over his shoulder to make sure everybody was listening before returning his baleful eyes to the traitors. "The two conditions are as follows. One, you must _not_ have contracted any missions which hurt Kumo's interests at home or abroad. Two, you must _not_ have attempted to capture a member of the Hyuuga clan or sought revenge against their members."

Mizukura decided to test the man at his word. "These two took a contract from one of our land's villages to kill Momiji-sama, a member of Shion-sama's court. She is the child I now protect within the barrier."

Hitohana's rage was palpable. He lowered his bokken to leverage it with Tsutsuji's shoulder, and he plunged it in with sickening efficiency. She tried to scream out in pain, but the Raiton muted her. Kinofuji cried out instead. "No, stop!"

Shion hugged Momiji to her chest to hide the sight from her. She was glad to hear the child ask questions about what was going on. It meant she hadn't seen the gruesome display. She shot a cautious eye to Hinata. The young heiress still seemed unresponsive.

"You have violated _both_ conditions, fools?" To say Hitohana was displeased would be an understatement. He seethed in righteous fury. "Demons is a neutral force holding valuable alliances and trading contracts with the elemental nations! If you returned and were glorified as heroes for capturing a Hyuuga after ruining our relationship with this land, do you honestly think Demons-sama would sit by impassively?!"

"With all due respect sir…" Mizukura started carefully. He carefully eyed Hinata. "…they are Hyuuga-sama's trophies. It is inappropriate for you to take their lives before they are delivered to Kumo."

Hitohana gave the Demons' captain a dangerous glare. "They _have_ been received by Kumo. As a hunter, I have the authority to speak for Raikage-sama. The Hyuuga scion will receive her pay as soon as we are in Konoha proper."

Hearing a moan from within the barrier, he, as everyone else, looked over to observe the Hyuuga heir. With a heavy sigh, the elder shinobi spoke up to get Shion's attention. "I recommend taking the child out of here. I have no desire for an innocent to see such a sight."

Shion nodded, and Mizukura lowered the barrier. She took Momiji and quickly evacuated to the carriage. She had no desire to see an execution, either. Attention returned to Hinata as she grabbed her head and moaned again. A few guards stepped closer to her as she closed her eyes and rolled her head.

She seemed to snap to attention after a second and looked around. She fell backwards before scrambling to her feet and assuming her juuken stance. Activating her Byakugan, she took stock of the situation…and became immensely confused.

While the Demons' guards were surrounding the cloud nin, the one with the unscratched hitai-ate had a bokken plunged into the shoulder of the female traitor. While the female looked pained, the male looked downright frightened. "Wh-What's going on here?" She cringed at the stutter, but she was confused.

Hitohana removed her bokken from the female's shoulder and politely bowed. "I'm sorry, Hyuuga-san. I assure you; these fools do not represent the feelings of my Raikage or me. Once I have conducted the execution, we can continue on to Konoha where I will pay you."

Though she couldn't bring herself to immediately trust the cloud nin, she straightened up and nodded. She was not going to interfere in the laws or traditions of a foreign nation. Not wishing to see the actual execution, she turned her back. With her skills, she would detect a betrayal and any attempt to attack before it happened. Besides, Mizukura and his men were armed and watching.

Shion's guards tensed as they watched Hitohana prepare himself. He charged his bokken with Raiton again, and it took on that ghastly, deep violet. "Tsutsuji, Kinofuji, by order of Raikage-sama, I sentence you to death." He pulled out a scroll and spread it on the ground. "While your bodies are still warm, Raikage-sama wishes to see you."

Before they could respond, the sunk his bokken into their guts in quick succession. Before they bled out from evisceration, he went through the necessary hand seals. When their bodies merged with the scroll, he rolled it up and replaced it on his person. "Kumo received the traitors Tsutsuji and Kinofuji alive, so the captor will receive full payment. Who shall Kumo recognize as the captor?"

Mizukura pointed to Hinata as she turned around. "Hyuuga-sama defeated both missing nin. She earned full credit." He looked to the blood on the bokken; there was none on the ground. He'd only heard of such skills.

Hinata kept her distance from Hitohana as she spoke. "What is your business in Konoha?" Despite herself, she couldn't even look the elder in the eyes. She knew it was incredibly rude, but she still had an innate fear of Kumo.

The elder took no offense. "I have been ordered by Raikage-sama to negotiate an alliance to wipe a powerful organization from our lands. It's an organization which threatens us all, not just one land. Raikage-sama is angry that they have killed two of our valued jonin, and he fears it is not a problem Kumo can handle on its own."

She released a careful breath. "If you're talking about Akatsuki or Oto, then we agree." Even without looking, she registered his surprised reaction and recognized its association with the first name. "Your jonin…did they carry a great burden?" She chose her words carefully knowing exactly what they meant.

While Demons' elite guards didn't catch the meaning, Hitohana certainly caught on. "So, Hyuuga scion, you know about Akatsuki and what they have done to our lands? I never thought Hokage-sama would trust a chunin with such knowledge, but perhaps it pertains to you in someway I don't know." He knew for a fact that she didn't contain a bijuu. Of that, he could be certain.

"I won't answer that." She was loyal to Naruto, and betraying his secret wouldn't do. Revealing that she knew a thing or two about others in his situation could only show how honest the loyal cloud nin was. Satisfied, she decided to change gears. "It's best if we return to Konoha, then. Hokage-sama _really_ doesn't appreciate it when people aren't punctual."

Already prepared, the garrison from Demons needed only get into formation. They were soon on their way, and Hinata and Mizukura stood atop Shion's carriage to guard her and Momiji from further incident. It didn't hurt that they had little trust in their guest from Kumo. Only time would tell of his trustworthiness.

* * *

Kankuro watched as his genin and a guest from Konoha sparred. Once again, the boys were sparring. It was appropriate. They covered each others weaknesses, so they were great sparring partners. Besides, he was trying to build a sense of camaraderie between them.

Mori was a mid to long range combat specialist. As a puppeteer, any puppets he possessed kept him out of direct action. He was weak at close range combat. Hishu, on the other hand, was weak at long range combat because he specialized in his bludgeoning weapons and close to mid range techniques.

Tsume was a bit different. It was difficult to train her weaknesses because they were caused by her blindness. She covered an area the boys never could because she made it difficult if not impossible to sneak up on her. In training against the superior vision of Hanabi, she could potentially increase her reaction time and, therefore, speed.

Kankuro knew his time with Hanabi was limited. Noon was fast approaching, and she had to return to her father. He was contented to just watch the spars for the time being. He had to call for their lunch break soon anyway.

The spar between Mori and Hishu was going as predictable as ever. They taunted each other to try to get under the other's skin. They even used Tsume as a low blow. Didn't they realize she could hear them?

Mori's puppet came fast and furious. As he could only control one puppet at a time, he stuck with Karasu. Its agility and weapons were better suited for close combat anyway. He controlled the puppet precisely as he kept his distance from his adversary. The moment the opponent got to close could spell certain doom.

Hishu struck hard and fast. He tried to keep the puppet at bay while attempting to close the gap to his adversary. Whenever he thought he had a moment, a blade came too close for comfort. He knew they weren't poisoned, but such a handicap only made being struck that much worse.

The spar between Tsume and Hanabi was much more interesting. Hanabi agreed not to charge her juuken strikes with chakra. It didn't mean they would hurt any less. The girls, however, were fast and furious. He followed them easily enough, but they dodged, parried, and counterattacked efficiently.

Tsume could detect subtle vibrations in the air or through the earth. She responded quickly. Early in the spar, she received several blows from her lither opponent. She was quickly adapting, however, and learning something of anticipation.

Hanabi hadn't taken a single strike. She was holding back only in chakra, not in skill. She had the same natural dexterity her sister possessed, but she seemed more ruthless. She was willing to hit hard, and she never let a successful blow get to her head.

With the sun high in the sky, Kankuro called a halt to the practice. He dismissed Hanabi and thanked her. He also asked her to deliver his thanks to her father. He then proceeded to tell his genin his observations. He might have been proud of their progress, but he wasn't showing them with praise. If they wanted to be ready for any chunin exam, they were going to acknowledge their shortcomings.

* * *

It was late night, and the shinobi felt anxious. They felt no killer intent, but they _knew_ somebody was approaching. One held his arm high, obviously a commander. His hitai-ate shimmered in the moonlight from his shoulder. He was dressed as a jonin from Iwa. His men formed a circle around him with kunai at the ready. They watched the darkness from all sides, ready for an attack.

When none immediately, they didn't relax their guard. A rustling of leaves caused them to tense, but they held their ground and didn't release any of their weapons unnecessarily. Three figures emerged, but only one wore a hitai-ate. She was a stunning red-head bearing the simple for Whirlpool.

The commander took in a deep breath as he recognized her. "I must say; you surprised me Uzumaki-sama." He noticed the two young women around her look at her in disbelief, and he narrowed his eyes as he noticed something. "You can tell your escort to drop their _Henge_." He sounded insulted.

Knowing they were caught, they did as they were asked. Isaribi and Sasame were revealed, and they bore their leaf hitai-ate proudly. They steeled themselves for a fight. They were still in Fire territory, so there was likely help nearby.

The Iwa commander released a heavy breath. "We're not in Fire to start any trouble. We're just tracking down a missing nin." He signaled his men to refasten their weapons. He would prefer not to start any trouble.

Kanaeru looked to Isaribi and silently thanked her for the information. When she turned her attention back to the Iwa shinobi, she wore a bright smile. "We're not here to discuss your mission here. Instead, I'd like to ask you to deliver a message to Earth-sama."

Isaribi and Sasame looked at each other and shrugged. They knew she was talking about the daimyo of Earth. They just didn't know Kanaeru knew somebody so important. The Iwa shinobi, with exception of the commander, did much the same. The younger ones weren't even sure who the woman was.

The commander spoke carefully. "Of course Uzumaki-sama, what message do you wish delivered?" He was curious about what was so important, or unimportant depending on how it was looked at, that she'd specifically seek out a group of Iwa shinobi rather than go to the daimyo herself.

Kanaeru sheepishly scratched her cheek. "I need you to tell Earth-sama the omiai is off. I mean no insult, but I've found another…more interesting prospect." She restrained laughter when jaws hit the floor.

The commander composed himself before speaking to prevent stuttering. "Earth-sama is already married, and he seeks no further wives. If you are insinuating…" He paused when he considered another possibility.

"Oh, you catch on quick." She winked at him. "No, the omiai was for his daughter." She stepped forward and handed the commander a scroll. "That is information on the young man Earth-sama requested. Tell him I appreciate all the help he's provided Whirlpool over the years."

The commander was no fool. He understood the importance of his task. He ran through the necessary hand seals, provided the medium, and summoned a normal-sized beaver. After giving the beaver the scroll and orders, he dismissed it to carry them out. "I'm sorry Uzumaki-sama. I'd deliver the message myself, but my mission takes priority."

Kanaeru didn't seem insulted in the least. "Don't worry about it. I only took the opportunity to come out here because I had some free time." She looked to the dubious expressions her companions wore. "What?" She paused for a moment. "Oh, do you men mind if we eat with you tonight? I promise I'm a good cook."

Though it seemed suspicious to Isaribi, the Iwa shinobi accepted. She kept her eyes out, as did Sasame. While Kanaeru and the Iwa commander talked, the Konoha shinobi stayed on one side of the camp while the Iwa shinobi stayed on the other.

Isaribi listened intently, but she heard nothing that was a security risk to Konoha. In fact, Kanaeru seemed to carefully dance around such topics when they arose. When Gayt emerged from the tree line, Kanaeru called it an evening, and they departed the Iwa encampment.

Once they were safely out of earshot, Isaribi voiced her concerns. "What do you think you're doing handing a scroll over to them? I had no way of inspecting it before hand." She made sure to let the venom drip in her tone.

Kanaeru only chuckled. "Don't worry. It was just family business. Nothing that could possibly jeopardize Konoha was in it." She wasn't lying, and the teenage girls could tell. They continued in silence for a while before she looked over her shoulder. "We safe now, Gayt?"

When her stalwart companion bobbed his head, they stopped and set up camp. Isaribi was going to report the incident as soon as they returned. Even though she could tell the red-head was speaking the truth, she was still the spy who inherited Jiraiya's network. She had to let Tsunade know of any deviations.

Sasame approached Kanaeru with a question. She was curious, and a question kept bugging her since a certain revelation. "Excuse me Kanaeru-san, are you related to Naruto?" The only resemblance she could see was in personality, and even that was a bit farfetched.

Kanaeru stopped and looked at the young Fuuma. She considered her position for a long moment, and the mutated girl's perked interest. She had kept certain things hidden, making them little better than half-truths. She opened with a question. "First, what's your opinion on the boy?"

Sasame put her hand over her fluttering heart. It felt odd that she so suddenly felt lightheaded, but she answered truthfully. "He saved my clan, and I owe him a lot. I won't betray him…not him."

Isaribi was more straight-faced. "He taught me a lesson I can never forget, and I owe him a debt I can never repay. He taught me trust and acceptance, and he saved me from self-destruction."

Kanaeru's smile only broadened. She wondered how they'd react to the truth. "Well, Naru-chan's my nee's kit!" Despite her unusual words, the meaning sunk in quickly. The girls were flabbergasted.

* * *

I'm a little surprised that people actually thought Hinata might have died a couple of releases ago in _Naruto_. I also find it funny that Hinata thinking her confession didn't count (my story) kind of portended to her ultimate confession in the manga.

Hitohana won't play a major role (except 'stealing' Hinata's kills). He's only helping close out the second arc. Short, isn't it? It has another two or three chapters (barring major brainstorms), mainly story building, before I officially close it out.

I've put up a very important poll concerning the third arc of my story. By very important, I mean non-story critical. It's more naming scheme that I want an opinion on. Please visit my profile to view the poll and vote. Voting's very important!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,063  
Story Page Count: 17.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

bokken - wooden sword: probably a big duh, but I'm not taking my chances.

omiai - basically, a Japanese marriage meeting. Wikipedia it if you have any questions.


	19. Chapter 17: Status Quo

TimeShifter: I told you I was no one-trick pony. I'm not bringing up so many questions this arc, eh? Hehe, no worries there. I should be answering most or your inquiries rather quickly.

samueltm2: I hope I continue to surprise and amaze.

* * *

**Chapter 17:  
Status Quo  
**

Kiba and Lee were on guard duty again. The reasoning was simple. Sayumi hadn't cleared them for active duty outside of Konoha. She claimed the neurotoxin chakra wasn't completely out of their system, and she wanted to continue to observe their progress. They weren't even cleared for anything more than what they considered light exercise.

Irate, Kiba snorted. "I don't care _how_ good a medic she is!" Besides guard duty, they had nearly daily medical check ups. "She just wants to deal with us so she can make out with that Yoshi or whatever his name is guy!"

Lee gave his canine-like companion a knowing grin before speaking in his boisterous tone. "You just miss Sasame."

"What?! I do not!" Kiba's face was red, but it was hard to tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. Akamaru yipped happily behind them. "Ah, not you too, Akamaru…" He whined.

Lee laughed. "Not to worry my youthful friend, the flames of spring roar loudly in you! Let the world know your undying love in a loud bellow to the heavens!" He was pointing to the sky in an overzealous display of drama.

Kiba slinked as far down into his seat as passersby stared at the strange boy in green spandex. Some chuckled merrily at the antics involving the poor Inuzuka. After the short distraction, most went about their merry way not really concerned with what the shinobi were talking about. To the civilians, it was probably some weird ritual anyway.

When the coast was relatively clear, he decided to try to sidestep to another subject. "Anyway, that foreign shinobi never showed up yesterday. What do you think happened to…err…him?" He couldn't tell by the name what gender to expect from the delegate.

Lee nodded in agreement. "I, too, am curious about what happened to our cloud visitor." He looked around before leaning in conspiratorially. "It is good that neither Neji nor Hinata are here. I do not doubt Neji would attack a shinobi from Kumo without hesitation or restraint."

Kiba growled. "Like I'd forgive him if he did!" He remembered the story about a cloud nin kidnapping Hinata then being killed by Hiashi. He knew the details the same as every one of his peers, and how Hizashi was made a sacrifice for the family. "I can hold back, but, if that jerk went after Hinata, Kyuubi couldn't keep me away!"

They had no idea what delayed Hitohana, but they knew Tsunade was in one of her moods because of it. Every hour, on the hour, an ANBU squad appeared at the gate for a report before quickly vanishing. He was already a day late, and the most prestigious person in the village had to attend a special ceremony later in the day. She also had a speech to make the next day, so the Kumo shinobi better pray he doesn't interrupt either special occasion.

* * *

Kurenai stared at the young girl before her that she'd gotten to know over the past week. She was told her name was Kagennotsuki Hyuuga Rikka, but the Hyuuga part was a secret for the time being. The girl was pale, abnormally so. If it weren't for her ashen blue eyes, she would have passed for albino. She was also told she was the first to see the girl in direct sunlight, even Naruto and the others only saw her under the shade of trees or dark cave.

Her hair was only washed once she was taken into Konoha. It was a matted mess and dull when her captors saw it. It was also the same color as the gel she resided in, but Kurenai saw it for what it was. It shone silver, like strands of mirror in the noon-day sun. Her hair was also long, tied in a ponytail to prevent it from dragging the ground. Her hair hardly contrasted her skin, but it made her stand out nonetheless.

She also took note of the oddly intricate birth mark; for she was assured it was no tattoo or Fuuin. In a once empty patch of skin, a detailed seal in the shape of a candle flame seemed to flicker under her right eye. She was told it was a blood-type to protect her over-sensitive skin from sunlight.

To Kurenai, the strangest part of Rikka was her choice in clothing. While it adequately covered her, it was tight and loose in odd places and revealed her midriff and shoulders. She had thought the old woman in a young girl's body would want to cover up the seals forcibly placed on her body.

Rikka's top had a loose turtle neck which covered her mouth. Kurenai was told the girl preferred not to move her mouth as she spoke. The loose neck was connected to a loose collar which tightened around the shoulder to reveal the seals before puffing out into loose short sleeves. With exception to the area immediately around the seal on her belly, the rest of the fabric was loose and billowy around her. The fabric was dark orange, almost brown, and likely Naruto's influence.

The fabric looked to be one piece, but Kurenai couldn't tell for sure. She had her mission from Tsunade, and she was willing to fulfill it as long as the girl was no threat to the village. As she studied the girl, she noticed she was being studied in turn. In fact, the young-looking Kagennotsuki was staring at her swollen belly. "Do you have something to ask, Rikka?"

The pale-skinned girl shook her head. "No, I just never got to see okaa-sama when she was pregnant with Saiga-kun." The first time she met her brother was, in fact, years after he was born. "I can…kind of sense him. With this chakra suppression, I can't make anything out but a vague semblance."

Kurenai smirked. "So, you're interested in new life?" When the girl nodded, the jonin continued. "I think you'll learn a lot about that here. Konoha values the next generation more than anything else. I think that's why Hokage-sama wants you to attend our shinobi academy, beyond earning trust of course."

Rikka nodded. "Of course…" She understood better than anybody. She was there when Tsunade told her that she was to attend and what reasons there were. She knew she was to attend the opening ceremony in a few hours time and be punctual to classes the next day. She also knew one other addendum to her stay in Konoha. "You're supposed to be my caregiver, right?"

Kurenai smirked. "What else did you expect?" She was amused when her young ward twitched. "Naruto has important duties, and his…special condition precludes him from taking care of you. You'll have plenty of opportunities to observe him and the people around him. I was, after all, Hinata's jonin sensei."

Rikka nodded. The logic was not lost to her. She rolled her shoulders at an annoying itch before giving her acquiescence. "The terms are acceptable to me; though, I have little real choice. However, I won't call you okaa-san."

Kurenai actually laughed to the pale girl's admittance. "Oh, I wasn't expecting you to. However, you will be going by _Yuuhi_ Rikka at the academy." To the annoyed ashen blue eyes, she continued with a smirk and lecturing tone. "The Kagennotsuki are recognized by the Hyuuga as rivals, and they won't recognize you as their offspring without the Byakugan, at least those accursed elders."

Rikka sighed in defeat. She wasn't losing her name or legacy. She was simply going by an alias for the time being. "It's already been explained to me. If you are my guardian, it is safer for me to go by your family name. I'd call you Kurenai-chan, but that would be rude considering my status."

Kurenai nodded, mildly amused. She already knew, after all, she was much younger than the apparent young girl before her. It still baffled her, but she remembered the facts they'd gathered on Orochimaru before his death. "You don't have to stand on formalities, just Kurenai will do." She liked it better that way.

Rikka nodded before looking around. They were in Konoha's downtown shopping district. She was certain she already had all the necessary school supplies, so she was curious what they were doing there. They were outside a restaurant, and she smelled a mixture of smells, all wonderful to her nose. Then she saw a sight she had hoped to never see again.

Mitarashi Anko was marching down the street with her murderous grin plastered on her face. When she saw Kurenai, she waved while picking up her pace. Though she didn't look to physically make an exertion, she was certainly moving faster. Rikka scowled as the two women greeted each other.

"So, they gave the brat to you, huh?" Anko looked at the pale-skinned girl with amusement. "You gotta be careful with her. She even broke Ibiki, and I've _never_ heard of anything like that." She actually giggled at the memory, which was curiousness in and of itself.

Kurenai shook her head. "She's not nearly that bad. Once you get past the gruff exterior, she's an observant and curious girl." She leaned in as to whisper knowing full well her ashen blue eyes observed everything. "She's never experienced life, and we get the chance to introduce her to it."

Anko clapped her hands together and rubbed them with a malicious gleam to her eyes. "Oh, it makes me want to request a job at the academy." Her following chortle could have frozen molten lava. "She'd experience life right quick!"

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Please Anko; you'd scare the girl if she wasn't our combined ages." She added quietly to herself. _"…or older."_ She was somewhat amused by the incensed reaction from her senior in a junior body.

After a mirthful laugh, Anko quickly grew serious. "Let's get to lunch and discuss the itinerary. We have to keep that brat punctual, and I've been put in charge of observing her unless my duties require otherwise."

They went into the restaurant to discuss both Rikka's itinerary and her actions over the past few days. She wasn't in any trouble; they were just formalities. The pale girl remained silent as Kurenai related the past few days' experiences. After all, Tsunade hadn't handed the girl over until the Fuuin had settled in and the pregnant jonin's safety assured.

Much to Anko's chagrin, Rikka hadn't misbehaved once since being released. She had asked a lot of questions, many involving Naruto and the village's view of him. More surprising, she asked questions in preparation for the academy. She wasn't anxious in any sense of the word. She was more curious, much as she was about the unborn life growing in Kurenai's womb.

Rikka went to see her ailing mother at least once every other day, but she only stood and stared at the dying woman for a few minutes before leaving. She always mumbled something about an essence slipping away or giving her farewell, but Yumiko still managed to hold on.

She'd only been to see her brothers once, and they disappointed her. Their conversation was anything if not confrontational. They accused her of not loving mother or them; she called them fools whom she wondered why she loved. They told her she had the power to release them; she reminded them of the chakra suppression seals' task. After a heated argument where she remained calmest, she turned her back on them and left.

Perhaps the most interesting and memorable meeting was the one with Iruka, Konohamaru, and Kakashi.

* * *

Iruka stood staring at the girl before him, disbelieving the incredible tale he'd just been told. His new student was an unexpected addition. Her real name was Kagennotsuki Hyuuga Rikka, but he was to recognize her as Yuuhi Rikka. She had a kekkie genkai that made her psychic, even with chakra suppression.

He was also entrusted with her other secret, her age. She was older and wiser than anybody in the room. She had also been heavily influenced by Naruto in his last mission.

"You want me to put her in the same class as my other students?" He watched his superior bob her head in affirmative. He was still in disbelief. "With all due respect Kurenai-san, don't you think it's a little much? It'll put a strain on her to be put as a peer to my students, and they'll think she's just being arrogant because of some superiority complex."

Kurenai smirked. "That's certainly a possibility; one we've considered. However, it is necessary to undo the brainwashing she's been subjected to. She has a strong hatred for Konoha, and it was only partially shaken when she realized Naruto wasn't as despised as her kaa-san made it out to seem."

Iruka nodded. "I can understand that, but…" He looked at her and her odd assortment of clothes. When he heard he was to prepare his curriculum for an additional and unexpected student, he didn't know what to think. In Konoha's history, only a handful of instances had a student join who wasn't already well prepared for.

With a sigh, he decided arguing was pointless. Tsunade had already made her decision, and his, as the saying went, was not to reason why but to do or die. He decided to bring up another question. "Why invite Kakashi and Konohamaru?"

Kurenai shrugged. "That's easy enough to answer." She stood wobbly and practically waddled to the door. When he rose and attempted to open the portal instead, she insisted she was fine and perfectly capable herself. As she opened the door to reveal Kakashi with his face stuck in a little green book and Konohamaru leaning forward enough to stumble in, she answered. "You three were among the first to accept our blond pariah."

Rikka scowled at the choice of words, but she couldn't very well deny them. Konoha _had_ made Naruto an outsider. She carefully observed the two men and single boy. She easily caught their active thoughts. Iruka was ashamed to think he once hated the boy, but he thought liking him was easy enough. Kakashi was ashamed he couldn't do more for him. Konohamaru made her blink. Apparently he was a subordinate and rival to the hyperactive ninja.

Kakashi was the first to speak up. "So, this is the brat Naruto found in Housekiyama?" He flipped to the next page as he nonchalantly continued. "If he didn't vouch for you, I wouldn't let you near our youth even if Hokage-sama ordered me to." Of course, he'd already observed her and reaffirmed Naruto's ability to judge a person's heart.

Konohamaru folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes definitely. "I don't see what Boss sees in you." He opened one eye to observe her. "He said you were powerful and had some crazy jutsu. You don't look so tough." He didn't know the details, but he expected more from Naruto's description.

She rose and walked over to him, and he backed up nervously. She thought she heard a girl's name pass through his mind, but she paid it no attention. She wasn't interested in such trivial, to her, matters. She wanted to know more about what Konohamaru knew about Naruto, so she impressed onto his mind the blonde's image. After a moment, she was satisfied.

She walked to Kurenai's side and stood for a moment. "Naruto's taught you a lot, and you think he made your sensei a better man." She observed Kakashi's visible eye widen slightly and only for an instant. She looked pointedly at him. "Yes, I can read your mind." It was a half-truth. With the chakra suppression seal, she could only read active or surface thoughts.

Kakashi smiled a knowing smile under his mask. "Oh, I already know that. I was just remembering something." He paused to flip a page of his book. "I heard you had Naruto and Hinata alone in a genjutsu. I was just wondering what went on in there…" Iruka looked scandalized as his face spun to visually chide the ranking shinobi in the room. Konohamaru looked up for a moment before giggling like a perverted schoolboy.

Kurenai's eyes went wide and instinctively reached for a kunai she knew wasn't there. Rikka flushed slightly and turned an angry glower to the silver-haired man of renown. "I can assure you that nothing so detestable as what is in your little book occurred." She was offended by the very thought.

It was what he was really thinking that caught her attention, however. He was truly concerned for the blond genin. In effect, he had really asked if any harm had befallen his protégé. Her answer was in the negative; one he prepared for her. Despite his slovenly demeanor, she recognized him as a capable leader.

The rest of the meeting was used to discuss Rikka's new student status as well as share declassified experiences with Naruto. Kakashi was the only one who couldn't share all his experiences as several were classified beyond Iruka and Konohamaru's clearance level, let alone Rikka's.

* * *

"When we left, Rikka was quite pleased with what she heard. It was a good experience for her, and I think it worked to strengthen her faith in the village." Kurenai was confident the little excursion was well worth it.

Anko scoffed. "What faith?" She shot a sidelong glance to the girl in question as she stuffed her face with another dango. "She hated the village when she came here, and she only has respect and faith for one person.

Kurenai sighed. "Well, that's true." She paused to watch the pale-skinned girl as she ate. She was still a bit sloppy with utensils, but she was a fast learner. "She did help heal the shinobi her tou-san injured."

It was Rikka's turn to scoff. "I didn't help any. I just told them that otou-san used a deplorable skill as he was dying." She looked carefully at Anko, unsure how the information would be reported. "As he died, he couldn't overcome his jealousy over the power they had for being so young. He hated that the Kagennotsuki lose more than they gain as they age."

For Anko, it was food for thought. She wasn't sure how she would report it to Tsunade, but she had a feeling the information was already known. She decided along with Kurenai to discuss itinerary details for the rest remainder of their lunch, and a bit afterward.

They had to make sure Kurenai was available for the opening ceremony and first day of classes. They had to ensure Rikka had all her supplies prepared and was ready for the skills' demonstration. They had a long few hours ahead of them before Tsunade made her speech to all the prospective students and happy parents.

Worse, there was a Hyuuga among the latest batch of students. Though branch, it was important to nip any troubles in the bud. Tsunade and Kurenai were going to have to talk to that particular student's parents to ensure secrecy and a promise of no retaliation. The Hyuuga didn't get along to well with the Kagennotsuki, even if Suna was an ally.

* * *

That evening, Tsunade was present at Konoha Academy to welcome students. She emphasized her pride in them and in the village. She told them how they were the next generation to inherit the will of fire which has been present since the founding of their fair village.

She carefully and proudly announced visitors and parents from powerful clans before going over the roster of teachers. She showed no sign of her agitation towards a certain foreign shinobi who was over due by over a day and a half. She was completely concentrated on the task at hand, much to Shizune's relief.

Once her speech concluded, the students lined up with their primary teachers for the skill demonstration. It was a tradition to accurately place students in classes where they would excel, but it was also a tradition most students enjoyed the opportunity to show off. The exceptions were clans like the Aburame and Nara. The exemplifications were clans like the Hyuuga who enjoyed showing their superiority.

It was no small wonder that everybody was suitably impressed with Rikka, who was a bit of an unknown as well as a late entry. Though she had nothing to showcase in taijutsu or ninjutsu, her chakra control, genjutsu, and knowledge were exemplar. Though some wondered at her extraordinary use of genjutsu, it was easily attributed to her being a Yuuhi.

With classes and final enrollment decided, the ceremony was called to an end. The already suspicious Hyuuga parents approached Tsunade in outrage over a likely enemy among their midst. A carefully crafted lie was already in place.

It was explained to the Hyuuga that Rikka was a distant relative to Kurenai, and her name was indeed Yuuhi. She was left orphaned in a recent attack by a criminal organization and had come into Kurenai's care. She seemed to have a kekkei genkai similar to a clan in Suna, the Kagennotsuki, but there was no evidence she was related to them.

When asked about the tracking and chakra suppression seals, another carefully concocted lie was ready. It was a half-truth. The criminal organization has been known to purposely leave survivors to infiltrate shinobi villages for their nefarious deeds. The Fuuin were merely a precautionary measure; they had nothing to fear.

Rikka watched the Hyuuga leave and was thoroughly impressed with Tsunade's ability to weasel her way out of an obvious confrontation. She wasn't just a leader on paper. She had her own charisma and leadership qualities that were hard to deny. She was later informed that Hiashi already knew her secret and had agreed to seek no retribution. He had also agreed not to tell anybody in his clan who didn't already know. The list was limited to three.

Rikka was oddly grateful for the knowledge. She realized Hiashi, as leader of the Hyuuga, could easily make life impossible for her. She also had no desire to be involved in a fight she had no chance of winning. With the chakra suppression seal, she couldn't beat one Hyuuga let along an entire clan.

* * *

As the sun was rising, students were getting ready for their first day of school. Parents were fussing over how proud they were and how they'd stay proud no matter what. Alone in her private quarters, Tsunade was staring into the mirror with a look of outright rage. The foreign shinobi was _two days_ late. She had no idea what could possibly hold him up like that, and she already had several ANBU squads out looking for him just in case.

She had a morning ceremony at the academy to attend, and she wasn't about to miss it. In her three-odd years as Hokage, it was her favorite of duties. She got to see the fresh and aspiring faces of the next generation. They were the ones the will of fire burned brightest in. They also reminded her of her dear, late brother. She would protect them no matter the cost.

As she put on her robes of state, she heard urgent knocking at the door. Heaving a sigh, she strode to the door as she straightened her clothing dutifully. Her expression became grave when she saw Bull standing a bit disheveled at the threshold to her sanctuary. "Report." There was no time for pleasantries.

"Sir, early this morning Yumiko was pronounced dead." He paused to evaluate her much annoyed expression. "However, she did not die as we expected." He paused to steel himself for her reaction. "Her throat was slit...by a katana."

She grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "What?! Who could slip past security?" She nearly bit her lip at the question. She already knew the answer, and it was no small handful. "Do you have any leads?"

Bull shook his head. "Sir, we do not know who it was. Our suspect list is only decreased by jonin who are outside the village. It is possible an ANBU or Hyuuga with a grudge carried out the assassination.

Tsunade set him down and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "How did this happen?" She eyed him dangerously. "I had my best guards just in case, even after Suichi-san left with Daikichi."

He took a deep breath before continuing. He knew riling his superior wasn't good for his health, but he like all ANBU commanders was loyal to a fault. "Forgive me sir, the reports I've received are hazy at best. From what I've been able to piece together, the culprit either circumvented or destroyed security jutsu and camera. The culprit also incapacitated any guards who were an immediate threat. Besides Yumiko, there were no casualties."

She closed her eyes and sighed. It was some consolation at least. She'd have to tell Yumiko's now confirmed orphaned children. She wasn't sure how they'd take it, but she wasn't about to inform them until after Rikka's first day of classes. It bought her _some_ time at least.

"Sir..." Bull started nervously and continued when Tsunade motioned him on. "I must also inform you that Basuto was found hung in his cell this morning." Her rage was palpable, and he answered her unasked question. "No guards saw what happened, and that's three ANBU squads, sir."

She was seething. "How is this possible?! I ANBU posted to prevent anything like this because we _might_ have gleamed some more information off them. Now we have nothing but Yumiko's youngest, and he's all but useless. In fact, he might only be useful for his kekkei genkai!" Then she paused. "We _do_ still have Saiga, right?"

Bull was glad he had no more bad news to deliver. "Sir, Saiga was confirmed in his cell immediately after we discovered Basuto's corpse." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts on his superior's next, unasked question. He knew better than to keep her waiting. "It doesn't appear that Basuto killed himself; though, evidence indicates that he did. We are working on what we know and trying to discover what we can."

Tsunade bobbed her head in acknowledgement as she considered everything. "Very well, you're dismissed. I have a ceremony to attend to, and I _don't_ intend to be late. Oh..." She interrupted before he left. "Make sure to hold our Kumo guest in my office when he arrives." With a bow, the ANBU commander disappeared in a plume of smoke.

Minutes later, she was at the academy grounds. As she surveyed the area, she was surprised to be approached by Rikka accompanied by Kurenai. They were certainly early for the first day of instruction, but that was to be expected considering the jonin's record. She was more surprised to hear the first question out of the pale-skinned girl's mouth.

"Okaa-sama is dead." As Tsunade blinked in surprise, Rikka continued. "I felt her essence slip away the same as when otou-san died." She paused as she considered what she felt and ignored the jumble of questions permeating the esteemed leader's mind. "She didn't die from her self-inflicted ailment."

Tsunade sighed. She wasn't expecting to deal with the situation as early as it was. "Listen, I had ANBU assigned to protect Yumiko. Whoever assassinated her was skilled enough to slip past security _and_ leave all ANBU alive. There's a chance this assassin is after you, Saiga, and Basuto as well. I need you to report any suspicious activity to Kurenai or an ANBU as soon as possible."

Rikka blinked lazily at the superior shinobi. "Should I report you lying to me? Basuto-oniisama is also dead." She paused to look around and leaned in. "I do have something odd to report. I thought I felt Saiga-kun's presence sometime this morning."

With a snap of her fingers, Tsunade ordered Bull to appear. She quickly whispered something in his ear; though, it didn't prevent either Kurenai or Rikka from hearing. Their short conversation was to confirm that Saiga, the real one, was in his cell earlier in the morning. He was, and tracking seals confirmed it.

It was an odd conundrum. The tracking seals would have alerted ANBU to any deviations from the norm, including removal of the arms the seals were placed on. Tsunade decided to play it safe and increase security. They had no idea who killed Yumiko and Basuto or how Rikka felt Saiga's presence as she was getting read for school.

Besides, the academy yard was starting to fill up, so they couldn't talk freely about such highly classified secrets. Rikka got to her assigned spot among the students, and Kurenai mingled among the parents. Tsunade gave her speech to officially open the new school year. A round of applause greeted the students to their first, memorable day of school. They had just begun their trek towards a ninja's life.

* * *

It was while the newly minted academy students were enjoying their lunch that a long overdue guest arrived with his excuse. Kiba whistled at the odd ensemble. His extra sharp senses easily made out the caravan plus one before Lee, but both were efficient ninja. They were standing at the village's portal before the large force could even be perceived by civilian senses.

They were promptly surrounded by a legion of ANBU, no matter how unnecessary. A large force meant it was necessary to show preparedness. Absent from the ANBU were two commanders who were seen near their leader often over the past few weeks, Bull and Eagle.

Other commanders made themselves known with their decorated masks. Dog and Cat stood near the front with the squadrons under their command. Hawk and Tiger held up the rear. Elephant and Bat were carefully poised at the flanks. The commanders recognized the garrison of 'regular' guards as those of Demons' court.

A single man broke formation and approached. The ANBU tensed as they noticed his hitai-ate, cloud symbol proudly proclaimed. He removed his bokken from his side and held it ceremonially. He knelt in a placating manner and set his weapon on the ground before him. As he held out his arms in surrender, he was pinned by one of Cat's squads. He offered no resistance or complaint.

Cat approached and spoke in a sterile voice. "Are you Hitohana, representative to Raikage-sama of Kumo?" She accepted his affirmative nod and continued. "Hokage-sama has been expecting you. She cannot meet with you at this moment, but she has been informed of your arrival. If you will accompany us, you will be debriefed on your tardiness and searched for weapons."

Hitohana had no reason to complain. It was his own fault for not finding some way to contact Konoha about his delay. He also had no idea he'd run across a Hyuuga. Sure, he knew little of her identity besides being from the main house. She hadn't spoken to him the entire two days it took to travel from Fire's border to Konoha, at a civilian's pace of course.

He rose when asked to and stood calmly as paper chakra suppression seals were adhered to his person. He was quiet as his bokken was carried out of his sight. As his Raikage, he was a traditionalist, though far less forgiving. Though he was a diplomat, he was still a shinobi visiting a village his people were once at war with.

As soon as Hitohana was secured, Hawk approached Cat. She took a moment to look around before nodding to her. With a single squad, Hawk marched through the garrison to Shion's carriage. She politely bowed to Hinata, still stationed on the roof. "Hinata-sama, I have been ordered to escort you and Demons-sama to Hokage-sama. Do you wish another ANBU squad assigned to this task?"

Hinata thought she recognized the voice but let it slide. After a moment of consideration, she worriedly looked in the direction Hitohana was being marched in. She was certain he couldn't simply break through the ANBU guard around him to wreak havoc upon Konoha, but she didn't trust him. "No Hawk-san, you're escort should be more than enough."

Hawk bowed before signing her own orders. In an instant, the commanders recognized their task to follow. Three remained station around the foreign shinobi. They were Cat, Dog, and Elephant. While Tiger and Bat took to the shadows with the vast majority of ANBU, Hawk remained in the open near Hinata.

Once Hitohana was adequately out of sight, Hinata and Mizukura hopped down from the top of the carriage and opened it to let Shion and Momiji out. Hawk politely greeted them; though, the red-headed child was frightened by the mask and hid herself behind the priestess daimyo's leg.

Kiba and Lee were ordered back to their stations, and they did so only somewhat grudgingly. The loud canine tamer greeted his friend and teammate as she walked through the gates, glad to see her safe and sound. She reciprocated his enthusiasm in her own quiet, shy demeanor.

Once beyond the threshold, Hawk started with some small talk. "It is good to see you well, Hinata-sama." Her tone was emotionless, and she just stared ahead. However, she was genuine.

Hinata nodded. "Thank you Hawk-san. It's good to be back." She smiled demurely. She was trying to place the voice. She _knew_ it was familiar. She also felt the respect in the honorific was actually restrained, as if the ANBU wished to express praise and worth with it. She decided to ignore such fantasy.

"It was strange to see you the company of that...man." Though cool and collected, there was heated venom with regard to Hitohana. Hawk then seemed to analyze Shion and Momiji, who again ducked to hide herself away. "As your charges are unharmed, it is of no consequence. It doesn't seem he caused any trouble."

Hinata shook her head. "No, I don't suppose there was." It was true. Hitohana hadn't tried anything once he joined them. In fact, he was as diligent in ensuring Shion's safe passage as if he were paid to do so. He never once approached the carriage or camp, perhaps out of fear that his intentions would be misinterpreted. They'd find out later.

* * *

Kanaeru was alone in her tent studying Tsunade's gifts. She heard her tent flap open and sighed. Before she could say anything, the intruder spoke her mind. "You know I can help. Why don't you just ask me to?"

Kanaeru sighed as she turned over and sat up. She looked Isaribi up and down. "You know nothing of Fuuin." She pointed to the scroll she was studying. "This is a very complex seal, and even as a sumitsuki I'm having trouble deciphering it." She didn't want to tell the young, mutated girl that it was an incomplete seal Minato used on Naruto that was giving her so much trouble.

Isaribi looked at the seal her senior indicated for a long moment. "I admit; I am no seal master." She seemed to study the words on the heavy parchment. "I am, however, excellent at breaking ciphers. They only put me on the field as a spy because they felt my overall skill listing was of better use out here than in some decoding bunker."

"Tsunade left his in my confidence..." Kanaeru wondered if her flow of logic really made any sense. "She trusted me with all this. I can't break that trust."

Isaribi actually raised an eyebrow as if being looked down upon. "You don't think she'd be okay with you sharing it with _me_? She gave me _Jiraiya's _spy network. She didn't have to, even though he requested it. As Hokage, she could have refused the request on principle because I'm a foreign shinobi whom might have been compromised by Orochimaru, arguably Konoha's worst traitor."

Kanaeru grumbled something under her breath. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. I sense no ill intent from you, and there _does_ seem to be some coded message here. Tsunade says these are the original notes for Naruto's seal, so I guess that's to be expected."

Isaribi felt her interest immediately peaked. "Wait, the famous Namikaze Minato _himself_ wrote these?!" She felt excited as she considered the possibilities. While Jiraiya was an absolute genius at espionage and ciphers, Minato was elevated to the status of legend for his ability to invent techniques, his near feral instinct on the field of battle, and his Fuuin work.

Kanaeru nervously nodded, nearly overwhelmed by the girl's enthusiasm. When she nearly dove at the scroll to start studying it, the red-headed kunoichi wondered if she did the right thing. "Listen; be careful with those documents... They're more valuable to me than you know..."

"Huh?" At first, the senior shinobi thought Isaribi didn't understand which was absurd. "Parts of this look like a letter from a tou-san to his sochi..." Having never seen a color picture of Minato, she had no reason to suspect Naruto's lineage. Unlike others, she was not prejudiced against him to discount the possibility, but it seemed laid out to her on the parchment.

Isaribi blinked. "I can't tell a hundred percent yet, but it looks like this part here's an apology to...Kushi-..." She paused as she tried to translate. "Is this Kushimura, Kushiozi, or..." She was interrupted.

"Kushina..." Kanaeru stated sadly. She knew Minato well enough to know he'd have left an apology, as unnecessary as it was. She didn't say anymore as she watched the young spy dive right back into her work.

"Oh, thanks for that! I'm beginning to understand this code." As Isaribi continued to read, a confused expression ran across her face. "Huh? Why did he even write this in code if he put all the important stuff in blood-seals anyway?" It was several, long minutes before she spoke again.

She suddenly got up and placed the parchment between and pointed to what she was about to read. It was upside right to Kanaeru, but she already knew what it said anyway. "This part's a message to you; I think. It says something about crafting the protection so that when the seals are joined the judgment will leave fate in the tenant's hands..."

"Wait, you said judgment?" Kanaeru waited for the affirmative nod before continuing. "Minato if you did what I think you did, you may have saved me a lot more headache than I thought..."

Throughout the rest of the night, she worked with Isaribi to decipher the coded message while she worked on the Fuuin. While Sasame slept, Gayt and Star kept watch. The arrangement worked out well enough. Some small talk took place, but only one other conversation really stood out to either.

"Who promised Naruto to Earth-sama's hime?" Isaribi was curious, and she didn't know if the answer would haunt her or not.

"Oh, no promise was made. We only promised Naruto would _see_ his cute little hime." She chuckled. "Really, the promise was made for some political reasons that aren't so important any more, and I was worried that Naruto wouldn't have found anybody by the time I got to meet him."

Isaribi nodded. "I understand what you meant by a more interesting prospect." She paused to consider for a moment. "Is it safe to assume Whirlpool has closer diplomatic ties with Earth than Fire?"

Kanaeru shrugged. "Sure, I guess. Though, we _are_ technically a neutral shinobi nation. Our alliances just protect us from unwanted invasion when wars break out."

Isaribi again nodded. "I see. Then a marriage alliance within the nobility of Earth is not nearly as profitable as a marriage alliance within the nobility of Fire."

Kanaeru giggled. "I wouldn't have thought you'd think it that far through." She nodded in consideration. "I can't deny that what you said is true, but I'm also much more interested in Naruto's happiness." She winked. "He'll be happy as Hokage with a wife in Konoha, the village he loves."

* * *

Fukusaku shook his head with a smile as he watched his latest charge. Uzumaki Naruto found new ways to surprise him. He was even exploring a bold, new idea in senjutsu. It looked like an insane amount of work, and it was more training than the sagely toad ever imagined giving. However, it seemed to be paying off with unimaginable dividends.

Naruto was far from mastering whatever his idea was, but he was certainly diligent in trying. It seemed unimaginable. It seemed beyond the realm of probable, but Jiraiya's 'destined child' seemed incapable of accepting 'no' for an answer. He kept pushing forward, and he was even using senjutsu as a surprising method for restraining Kyuubi and his unwanted chakra.

Over the past few days, the blonde's concentration had improved immeasurably. He was also complaining about Kyuubi less and less. It was hard if not impossible to tell if it was because he was getting better at suppressing the demon or simply heard less and less from the bijuu. Whatever the case, Jiraiya's hope continued to push through every day and overcome obstacles nobody thought to overcome.

Fukusaku had nothing less than praise for the young man. He wasn't infallible by any stretch of the imagination, nor was he invincible. He had no idea what limitations a merge-less senjutsu would have, but he knew the limitations with a merge intimately. _"That tadpole Jiraiya died because of those limitations, but that Pein fellow is nothing short of a monster. He fashions himself a god of some sort."_

He was drawn from his musings when an explosion sounded the end of Naruto's latest training session. He quickly approached the hyperactive blond and retrieved him to return to his house for the usual medical treatment before a scrumptious meal. He had no idea why his charge didn't seem to enjoy his wife's fine cooking. It had been weeks, and he still hadn't seen Naruto's infamous appetite.

* * *

Tenten was coming out of Tsunade's office as Hinata arrived with Shion and Momiji. Her ANBU escort had disappeared into the shadows the moment they entered the Hokage tower. The same could not be said of Hitohana, technically speaking.

The Kumo shinobi was surrounded by ANBU, but Bull and Eagle had taken over escort duty. He was no longer bound, but his bokken was still not at his side. In fact, it was nowhere in sight. It might have been in safe storage to lessen the possibility of attack on Tsunade.

She wasn't Hokage without reason. She was exceptionally skilled, but an unexpected attack was always the most dangerous. It was no wonder a small contingent of the most skilled ANBU were on hand to ensure the safety of their valued leader.

Hinata was drawn from her musings as Shizune opened the door and cleared her throat to get their attention. When all eyes were on her, she spoke. "If you don't mind Hinata-sama, Tsunade-sama will see you and Hitohana-san at the same time. She'd like to hear what happened while you two traveled together. Then she'll dismiss you to speak in more detail about diplomacy with Hitohana-san."

Inwardly, Hinata shivered. She remembered the last time all Kumo wanted was 'diplomacy' because she still woke up with a cold sweat from time to time, especially around the anniversary. She was a loyal shinobi of the leaf, however, and quietly accepted her orders with a nod.

When Shion and Momiji tried to enter the room, Shizune stopped them. "I'm sorry, but Tsunade-sama said she'd talk with you as soon as she was done with Hitohana. You can get some rest and/or get a meal while you wait. I'm sure the long journey's been tough on you." She offered a gentle smile.

Shion wasn't offended, but she let out a frustrated sigh. "Yeah, that's fine." She was certain what she wanted to talk about wasn't nearly as important as what the foreign delegate wanted to discuss. "We'll wait here for now, but how do I find a place to eat if I don't know my way around?"

Shizune nodded in understanding. "Don't worry; there are ANBU around here." She thought for a moment. "I think Hawk's assigned to you. If you snap your fingers, she'll take you wherever you want." Once their daimyo guest was satisfied, she disappeared back into the Hokage's office. It was going to be a long day.

Once inside, Shizune seated herself next to Hinata. Unsurprisingly, the position was opposite Hitohana. Tsunade massaged her temples in a vain attempt to drive away her favorite migraine, even as she spoke. "Listen, I don't have time for pleasantries. You're over two _days_ late, Hitohana. Your Raikage commended you for your punctuality."

He bowed his head politely. "I do apologize, Hokage-sama. Unfortunately, it seems good fortune that I was held up." He politely nodded in Hinata's direction. "The Hyuuga scion was attacked by former associates of mine. I'm ashamed to say they were once my very own students."

Tsunade tented her hands in front of her and leaned on them. She was going to give up on her migraine. It seemed an impossible task anyway. "This is not boding well for our negotiations…" Her voice was stern and promised retribution if harm had befallen her precious shinobi.

He failed to buckle under the threat. "By the time I arrived, the Hyuuga scion had already dealt with both Tsutsuji and Kinofuji, two of Kumo no Juunihana. I accepted them in Raikage-sama's name and have promised to pay the bounty in full for their live capture."

"Kumo no Juunihana?" Tsunade was reasonably impressed. "You're saying Hinata defeated two of that elite group?" His affirmative nod led her to continue. "I'm impressed, Hinata. You managed to take out two borderline A-rank criminals."

"P-Pardon me Hokage-sama, but I only kn-knocked the unconscious." She was glad to hear the praise, but she was nervous about accepting it unjustly. She didn't feel she did anything special.

Tsunade restrained a giggle. "That's enough, Hinata. If you hadn't done that, Shion's life would have been in danger." She didn't have the full story, so she didn't know that they were after Momiji instead. She was glad, however, to see the happy blush on the shy heiress' cheeks.

Hitohana's eyes were carefully rested on Hinata. "Excuse me Hyuuga scion, but you are called Hinata?" The startled look she gave confused him before she nodded. "I see. Then my former associates' crimes are worse than I had feared. Am I correct in believing that it was _you_ our foolish former Raikage sent Tsutsuji's ototo to kidnap?" Another nod confirmed all he needed to know.

He rose from his chair before carefully kneeling to the ground then prostrating himself. "I owe you an apology no amount of begging could ever forgive. Though I was opposed to the plan, I did nothing to stop it. In fact, the fool who stole you away as you slept did more in your defense than these old bones dared."

He raised his head enough to see her confused expression. "I will not defend the fool. He fully stood behind our former Raikage's plan to kidnap the young and defenseless heiress. However, he recognized something his master didn't. If he triumphantly returned home with a helpless child, there would be civil war."

"Few opposed kidnapping a Hyuuga to acquire the Byakugan. Of our shinobi clans, the vast majority opposed kidnapping a child. The man who kidnapped you saw another option. He wanted to kidnap you as the Raikage said, but he brought another idea that was unanimously agreed to."

"Though our current Raikage-sama and a few clans disagreed with the plan altogether, the plan the fool came up with would prevent civil war…as long as he succeeded. At the time, Kumo was very unstable. Though the peace delegation was mostly a ruse to capture the Byakugan, we genuinely wanted peace, so we could stabilize our economy and civil order."

"In truth, to protect civil order and bring us the Byakugan, you were merely the bait to bring us the head of the Hyuuga clan, Hyuuga Hiashi."

* * *

I drew focus away from Hinata and Naruto at the beginning for a reason. I'm a cruel, cruel man. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the small taste of Rikka without her full abilities.

I still have my poll up as I would like _as much input as possible_ before I close out my current arc.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,011  
Story Page Count: 17.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

Kumo no Juunihana - Twelve Flowers of the Cloud: an elite group permited to learn unique kinjutsu, the Kumo no Juunihana are refered to by their titles instead of their names from the moment it is given.


	20. Chapter 18: Demons Retrieval

TimeShifter: Excellent guesses, but I'll leave a bit of mystery going into the next arc. One thing though, Hawk is a girl and as of yet unrevealed.

samueltm2: For some odd reason, I'm enjoying giving Naruto a hard time...

J'aime Manga: Ah, thank you. I'll try not to get a swelled head. After all, I am having some transparency issues as others will attest. I do hope you continue enjoying, especially as things get much more intense next arc.

* * *

**Chapter 18:  
Demons Retrieval  
**

Hinata stared dumbfounded at Hitohana's sudden explanation. "I-I was the _bait_?" If she wasn't already seated, she knew her knees would be weak. If the revelation wasn't another falsehood, Hizashi was killed because her own father had been the intended target.

The elder shinobi nodded. "Even if you won't believe me, I'm not one to lie, let alone mince words. I have no reason _not_ to tell you, and have been ordered the opposite in fact. I was chosen by Raikage-sama to serve as diplomat for one reason and one reason alone. I am loyal to Kumo and hold her interests strongest."

He paused to stand erect and rested his potent eyes on the Hyuuga heiress. "Right now, that means I forget old grievances, offer any necessary accommodations, and ensure Konoha joins us in eliminating a common threat." He set his eyes on the buxom blond seated behind her authoritative desk. "Does everybody know?"

He waited for her affirmative nod before continuing. "As Hokage-sama's assistant, I can understand your knowledge." His glare fixated on Shizune for half a second before returning to Hinata. "I haven't quite figured your connection yet, but it's no matter. Hyuuga scion, Raikage-sama holds blood relation to one Akatsuki targeted and killed."

She nodded, not quite understanding what he was getting at. "My point is…" The elder shinobi continued. "…Raikage-sama wants revenge. Unfortunately, Akatsuki is too powerful an organization to go after alone. No single village can handle them, and Konoha is no exception. I did not come here for tomfoolery. I don't honestly need your trust, but the combined effort would be served greater with Hyuuga assistance."

Hinata looked on in slight astonishment. Hitohana admitted nothing short of his own village's weakness. Admittedly, it was a weakness other villages shared. At least that's what he believed. Akatsuki was indeed a powerful organization. She had felt the weight of some of that power in Orochimaru's Oto, and even she'd heard whispers of how the great snake sannin feared his former comrades.

"You said…I was just bait." She managed to nervously speak without stutter. "What was the plan, then? How were you going to get at my tou-san through me?" She thought she might know the answer, but she wanted to hear an actual witness to the plan's birth.

Hitohana bowed his head in acquiescence. "Your kidnapper and I were the previous Raikage's most trusted advisors. Even so, I couldn't think of any means to prevent the civil war I knew was coming. If we fulfilled his desires, Kumo would have a war on two fronts, itself and Konoha." He paused. "…a war we could not win."

"The man who kidnapped you was no Juunihana no Kumo, but he was still considered quite strong and capable. It would have been nothing for him to sneak in, take you, and sneak out without notice. He was also an advisor for a reason, not to mention considered a leading ninja. He, as I, was present at the war council when the plan to kidnap a Hyuuga was laid out."

He sighed recalling the meeting. "The clans were split, and the rising star of our village was opposed to the previous Raikage's plan. He is our current Raikage-sama, by the way. In either failure or success, kidnapping a toddler ensured irreparable fissures between those supporting and those opposing. Your kidnapper had a plan."

"He presented a revised kidnapping plan at the next advisory meeting, before the previous Raikage and me. In it, he sacrificed himself to ensure Hyuuga Hiashi's capture. He managed to sneak in without being noticed, but he flared his chakra in your bedchambers. He then left a trail of breadcrumbs to be followed."

Hitohana held up his hand and started lifting a finger as he made a point. "There were several factors in his favor. One, the main and branch quarters were separated ensuring the only branch who felt his presence were night watch and maids. Two, he didn't have to worry over a pregnant matriarch. Three, the patriarch would be very, very mad that an unknown was in his scion's sleeping quarters."

Hinata's face turned downcast. "My kidnapper only had to worry about tou-san. He didn't stop when he saw tou-san out of fear or surprise. He stopped because that was part of the plan." She returned her eyes to the elder Kumo shinobi to see his affirmative nod.

"Yes, and it was a trap the patriarch couldn't escape." Hitohana spoke respectfully of Hiashi. "I have no doubt he loved his scion and couldn't bear to see his matriarch saddened. He might have known it was a trap even as he rushed forward and his target made no move to block or evade. With the leader of the peace delegation dead, retribution was demanded."

Hinata nodded. She knew the rest of the story all too well. Her cousin, Neji, hated her for countless years before he learned the truth, and had some sensed knocked into him by the number one, hyperactive, knuckleheaded, blond ninja. She was about to say something when he spoke up again.

"As I said, I need old grievances to be forgotten. Even if it's temporary, the Hyuuga's grievances with Kumo work against any alliance. As such, I am allowed to offer accommodations. As we wrongfully took the head of Hyuuga Hizashi, we offer the head of his relative Aijsai, a member of the Juunihana no Kumo."

Hinata's eyes widened as she stood and stomped a foot. "No! I will not dishonor Hizashi-ojisan like that!" She turned her gaze intently to the floor and clenched her fists. "There-There's been enough bloodshed already." She shook her head and stared directly into those sickly eyes. "I am a loyal shinobi of the leaf, and I will do what is in the best interest of _my_ village!"

Hitohana took one look at the adamant stance before turning towards Tsunade. "I trust I've answered all questions adequately. The Hyuuga scion now knows the truth, and I'm sure you understand my delay. If the Hyuuga scion would like to add anything, however…"

With a sigh, Hinata contemplated everything. In all likelihood, Tsunade wanted the full debriefing after her conference with the Kumo delegate. She wanted to attend to Shion and Momiji to make sure they acclimated well to Konoha for their visit. With a bob of her head and resolve, she looked to her superior. "No Hokage-sama, I have nothing to add now. I'll give my full report when you're ready to debrief Demons-sama and me."

Tsunade nodded and dismissed the young heiress. She was glad the shy girl was as capable at keeping her head as others in her clan. With her departure, the slug sannin turned to her guest. "Hitohana, I can understand Raikage-sama's urgency in this matter, but it is rather unusual that he actually sent a representative rather than discuss everything at the Shadow Council."

Hitohana nodded as he affixed his sickly eyes on Konoha's esteemed leader. "Unusual as it might be; it is also highly necessary. As I said, my mission involves grievances and accommodations. My utmost loyalty is to Kumo, and a grave sin has been committed. Hokage-sama, I hope you understand that, right now, Kumo hates Uchiha Sasuke and the organization he worked for."

Tsunade sighed. First, he worked for the snake sannin and his Oto. Now of all things, he'd been recruited by an even more fearsome organization. "I wanted to try capturing the last Uchiha alive, but I suppose I have little hope of that now. You are, after all, requesting permission to hunt him exclusively."

With a nod, the elder shinobi expressed his understanding. "Of course, I'm sure you still consider the Sharingan a valuable asset to your village. They were a founding clan, and their kekkei genkai has brought Konoha both glory and clientele. However, he attacked Kira Bii for no other purpose than to extract that which is contained within him. All Akatsuki members are to be hunted as criminals for much the same, so the last Uchiha scion will receive no better treatment."

The aged medic set her chin atop steepled hands. The news was going to be hardest to break to Kakashi's team. The copy nin himself would take it as part of the job. He'd grieve, but he wouldn't purposely disrupt much longed for peace. "I can no longer justify his actions. Though he fought and nearly killed one of our shinobi, he spared him in the end. He also was the one to end Orochimaru's terror, an unexpected boon." She sighed. "I'll allow your request."

The elder shinobi expressed his thanks with a deep bow. "Thank you for your understanding, Hokage-sama. Raikage-sama appreciates your cooperation." He stood erect and focused his sickly eyes on Konoha's leader once more. "There is much to discuss, and we have little time. According to our sources, Akatsuki is on the move."

* * *

An army of blond, blue eyed clones faced down their adversary. A lone blond stood against them. His eyes, though blue, looked vaguely toad-like as he stood in the familiar battle stance the elder toad taught him. The clones rushed forward, and the lone warrior tensed.

The first clones to reach the lone warrior exploded as they came in contact with the first attack. As displaced air rushed into the collapsed space, the newest senjutsu master looked out on his quarry, nearly one thousand replicas of himself.

Fukusaku never said it out loud, but he was proud of the progress Jiraiya's 'destined child' had made. Uzumaki Naruto was as surprising as his reputation. He had mastered the _Rasengan_ to such an extent that he had large, small, and elemental variations of it. In fact, the elder toad watched as the clones backed away from the largest variation as it managed to stay in existence even after wiping out an entire column.

"Not enough…" Naruto groused as he released his attack and rushed forward. In sage mode, he could sense chakra as he never could. He almost felt like he could predict movements by paying attention to where or how it was flowing. He knew it was impossible, though. His latest sensei told him senjutsu couldn't be used that way.

He pressed forward and another few dozen clones dispersed. Hoping to take advantage of momentary blindness, more moved in only to be slaughtered. "Not enough…" The original complained as he created another swirling, compact ball of death. He drove it forward like a sword and plowed through another rush of clones.

Fukusaku shook his head. His latest protégé never thought his clone army was enough. He could wipe out all one thousand in a matter of minutes and never take a hit. He complained that senjutsu would make any normal, sane opponent he might face flee in abject terror. He wasn't facing either normal or sane opponents in Akatsuki.

He also contemplated something else as he listened to displaced air rush back into place as clones popped out of existence. Kyuubi no Kitsune, a bijuu who could exude fear, was frightened of the terrorist organization. Though admittedly, the loud blond had somehow managed to keep the terrible beast from taking over even in some extreme emotional conditions.

Fukusaku came to a sad realization as the last few clones popped out of existence and looked on a barely winded Naruto. The hyperactive blond was no longer his best training partner. With a sigh, the elder toad turned around to fetch his last resort. It heard senjutsu-based clones pop into existence as he made his way from the training area. "Well tadpole, let's say we step things up a bit."

* * *

Hinata was sitting with Shion and Momiji in a high class restaurant. It was the priestess daimyo's request, and the shy heiress saw no reason to deny it. As they sat down, a waitress was more interested in cooing over the young red-head than taking their orders. Neither teenage minded, and they laughed slightly as the overly shy child blushed profusely and sunk into herself.

When the waitress finally took their orders and disappeared to fulfill them, the heiress and daimyo decided to talk. Momiji was given some crayons and color-by-number puzzle, so she was engrossed in her own thing. Besides, the teens knew their discussion would bore the child to tears.

They talked about the events of the past few weeks and exactly how to talk about the attack on the royal caravan. Though they were going to hide nothing from Tsunade, they wanted to confirm each others' stories. They knew they had a while since official business was being discussed between two villages.

When their meals came, they had to carefully watch the red-headed child as they ate. At times, one or the other would break from their food and discussion to assist the three-year-old girl. Her face would quickly become a mess; though, she was behaved enough not to toss food around.

With their hunger satiated, they left the restaurant. Momiji walked, as usual, hand-in-hand with Shion. From time to time, she would thoughtfully peer about with a finger in her mouth. If anybody got too close to her, she ducked behind her adoptive mother's leg. If she couldn't hide there, she somehow managed to dash between Hinata's instead.

"Where will you be staying while visiting?" Hinata asked on a whim. She was curious because she wanted to be able to see the red-headed girl. She was only slightly less enthusiastic about seeing her new friend and rival.

"Hmm?" Shion looked on in thought for a moment. "I guess I'll stay at a hotel until my fiancée returns." She hadn't really concerned herself with the details. That was Mizukura's job, anyway.

Hinata looked up in thought for a moment. There were many splendid hotels in Konoha. She couldn't deny that fact. She, however, decided on another course of action. "Well, I'm sure the hotels will be full enough with all your soldiers...unless they decide to make camp outside Konoha. Anyway, there are plenty of guest rooms at the Hyuuga estate. Why not spend some time there?"

She was surprised by the sudden and grateful reaction. Shion managed to appear in front of the shy heiress with a speed a civilian shouldn't have. She grasped her hands in her own as a sparkle came to her eyes. "You mean it! I've heard the Hyuuga estates are lavish and comparable to most daimyo's!"

Her excitement seemed to rub off on Momiji. "Really, nee-chi! Really, really?!" She was nearly jumping up and down as she clasped her tiny hands into fists. When she saw the surprised heiress nervously nod her head, she really did jump as she shouted her excitement and thanks.

Hawk picked that moment to appear, kneeling in a proper bow to two she recognized as authority figures. "Hinata-sama, Demons-sama, Hokage-sama informed me she will see you one hour from now." She looked to the two and Momiji in turn. "If you wish, I can ensure preparations for Demons-sama stay."

Hinata wasn't surprised to see the ANBU captain suddenly appear. Shion was slightly startled but otherwise okay. Momiji, though, was cowering behind her adoptive mother's legs. In her eyes shone a mix of awe and fear, mostly the latter. Hawk would have berated herself for frightening the child if she had time to worry about it. Just as quickly and silently as she appeared, she melded into the shadows and out of view.

"Well, we have some time. How about going to the park?" Hinata knew there were several parks, but she knew the perfect one to bring Momiji to.

"Sounds wonderful." Shion picked the small girl up and followed her friend and rival. A day at the park sounded like exactly what Momiji needed. Besides, a village as large as Konoha was bound to have plenty of children the red-headed girl's age to play with.

As they made their way to the park, Shion noticed Hinata look around every once in a while. With the park in sight, the shy heiress let out an exasperated sigh. As she came to a stop, the priestess daimyo followed suit. She looked around confused before she heard a loud, familiar voice.

"See, I told you she had returned with company in tow. You did not believe me." Lee approached with Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Chouji, and Ino. He practically ran the last few strides before coming to stop in front of the three girls with a massive grin and salute. "It is good to see you again, Shion-sama. What brings you to our lovely village?" Perhaps thankfully, he hadn't yet noticed the timid girl trying to sink into Shion's chest.

Ino heaved a heavy sigh. "Would you give it a rest, Lee? We never said we didn't believe you, and Kiba was there _with you_ when they all arrived." She paused as she came to a stop to cross her arms over her chest and look on the scene. "Besides, what I said was that I doubted the Demons garrison was allowed through the gates; at least so quickly."

"Yeah, but I still don't see why you had to drag us all away." He munched on chips as he backed his teammate up. "We just got back from a mission and were on our way for a debriefing."

Shino politely nodded towards Hinata as he came to stand next to her. He raised a brow when he spied the obviously frightened child, and he could tell from his insects' reports that she was quite timid. Kiba seemed to sense it too because he placed a hand on his friend's should before pointing her out. "Hey, who's the runt?"

Shion was incensed. She didn't understand the Inuzuka clan ways and misunderstood him. "She's not a runt! She's my precious daughter, Momiji!" She held her adoptive child more protectively as Hinata shook her head, forehead in palm. All around, faces were perplexed.

Lee, however, had a fire in his eyes. "Oh, the flames of youth are so strong!" He looked at the red-headed child, managing to frighten her further. "She looks like a splendid child, and I bet her youthfulness will blossom like a rare rose!" In a sudden bout of curiosity winning over his usual boisterous nature, he asked a question. "Who's the father?"

In a panic, Hinata almost managed to cover Shion's mouth. The priestess daimyo managed to speak first, however. "Oh, Naruto's her papa...oh-oomph!" She blinked as her mouth was covered and watched the expressions on everybody's faces drop, except the stoic Shino.

Hinata managed a nervous chuckle before making her suggestion. "L-Let's go to the park. We'll explain everything there." She was relieved when they all nodded in acceptance, but she was less enthusiastic as she noticed an insect silently crawl into the clothes of each of her charges.

"Yes, I'd like to hear about this, too." Her eyes widened as she spun around to see Neji walking up with Tenten, Shikamaru, and Temari. It was her cousin who spoke. He was almost past them before he spoke again. "Let's not delay here too long. You'll only attract a larger crowd."

Hinata looked dejected. Only one thing could make her mood worse. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and saw pink flash in her peripheral vision. "Yeah, come on, let's go!" Things got worse, and Sakura somewhat forcefully dragged Hinata to catch up with everyone.

Hinata introduced Shion and Momiji to everybody. Shion encouraged Momiji to go into the park to play before she cleared her throat to tell the tale everybody awaited anxiously. Even Hinata was anxious to hear. She only knew that Momiji was not Shion's natural daughter, and she had the ability to 'speak' with animals. The priestess daimyo cleared her throat to capture everybody's undivided attention.

* * *

Sasame carefully weaved her medical threads over Gayt's armor. He kept his quiet gaze on her as he simply observed. She was slightly nervous about the flickering Star. The fleck of light seemed to flash red. _"I wonder if that means she's angry. For that matter, she might be jealous if she's a girl... Gayt always refers to Star as 'her' even if he can't really answer any questions."_

It wasn't her first time checking up on the quiet man with a powerful presence. She still couldn't sense his chakra, but she was used to him. She could tell when he was there and when he wasn't. She was also getting a feel for Star and her moods. It was odd for her to acknowledge it, but it made her feel like she was making progress.

They were still the most mysterious beings she had ever met. She couldn't bring herself to think of either of them as human. Gayt moved swiftly in his armor and pulled of some amazing techniques, yet he, as her analysis once more indicated, had no discernable chakra. Star, on the other hand, traveled as little more than a fleck of light only her stout companion could understand, or even hear.

As she ended her technique with a heavy sigh, Gayt finally spoke up. She was still curious how he managed to maintain a deadpan tone with his overemotional companion. "Is there any change?" He studied her for a moment, silently acquiring his answer. "I see."

As he rose, Sasame stopped him. "Wait!" He halted once he was fully erect. She rushed forward with a pleading face only for Star to come between them. With a sigh, she rolled her eyes and continued anyway. "Why don't you..._How_ don't you have any chakra? It's like you're not even alive..." She trailed off not sure if he'd be insulted.

"I don't know." His response was laden with no malice or hesitation.

"Huh?" His mater-of-fact tone confused her.

He turned his gaze fully upon her, and she almost made out his eyes in the barren darkness of his helm. Star flickered angrily between them. "As I said, I do not know. I simply remember awaking in a forest when Kanaeru-sama found me. I remember her treating my wounds and applying this armor to me. I became her kousotsu as thanks."

Sasame nodded. She had never asked, so he never volunteered the information. She decided to press forward, perhaps enlighten herself to the situation. "The armor is very intricate, and I can feel power emanating off the seals adorning it." She paused to collect her thoughts. "My medical threads tell me it's drawing chakra into its...or your core."

Gayt nodded. "Yes, that's the purpose of the armor. Eventually, I should be restored, mind and body." He found no reason to hide the information, and he wasn't surprised by the stunned expression the medic wore. "It is not something I expect you to understand. All that you need to know is that this armor protects me as it painstakingly restores me."

She slowly nodded before looking over her shoulder to the tent Kanaeru and Isaribi occupied. She was beginning to wonder if she had gotten in over her head in volunteering to oversee the armored man's health.

* * *

Isaribi looked over the 'map' Kanaeru was just finishing up. "Will this really work?" She was curious as she compared Minato's notes to the massive Fuuin. She was no seal master, but she did care for Naruto's safety.

Kanaeru waved the question off with a laugh. "Of course it will! They don't label just _anybody_ a sumitsuki, after all." She applied the finishing touches before leaning back to scrutinize her own work. "It's a masterpiece only a Fuuin master of my caliber could complete."

Konoha's latest spymaster arched a brow. "Are you sure you're not getting too full of yourself?" She was amused that the two members of the Uzumaki she knew resembled each other so much in personality.

The red-headed kunoichi puffed her chest and made a show of patting one side. "I'm a proud sumitsuki of the Uzumaki clan! When it involves family, we don't make mistakes." She pointed to one section of the massive seal. "This part here's the key, though. Without it, Naruto can't properly balance Kyuubi's chakra with his own."

Isaribi considered the portion for a moment before commenting. "It's the center of the array." Her realization brought her further confusion. "I thought it was more important to separate the Kyuubi's mind and negativity. It's done a lot of harm to him in the past, and I imagine it'll only get worse." She heard a chuckle and looked at her companion oddly. "What's so funny?"

Kanaeru shook her head. "Nothing, nothing..." She paused to lean in. "Want to know a secret?" A smirk crossed her lips when she saw the affirmative nod. "When this seal takes over, it's going to be a lot easier for Naruto and Kyuubi to talk with each other." The expression on the mutated girl's face almost made her fall over laughing.

"No!" She was nearly frantic. "You can't do that! Naruto's already had it hard enough! If you let... Hey, stop laughing!" She puffed her cheeks and planted her hands on her hips as she was ignored. When her elder finally calmed down, she continued. "If you let Kyuubi communicate more freely with Naruto, it'll only cause more trouble."

The Whirlpool shinobi remained quiet with her confident smirk as she rolled up and sealed the scroll the array was laid out on. "I think you'll have a change of heart after you see the results." She opened the tent flap and walked out. She was going to spar with Gayt to keep her body and mind in shape, a daily routine.

Left behind to contemplate, Isaribi added to Kanaeru's retreating form. "I certainly hope so. I've grown rather fond of Konoha. When I was saved by Naruto, Shino, and Ino, I never thought I'd learn to accept myself or people again..." With a sigh, she decided to leave the tent and observe the spar. At the very least, they had interesting fighting styles.

* * *

Well outside Konoha, a man in a swirling, orange mask looked into a puddle. A shadowed figure looked up at him as it rippled under the immense chakra. "The eldest two are dead, but I've left the younger two alive for the moment." The voice was gruff like an old soldier.

Madara left his idiot persona behind for the moment, even with the mask on. "That wasn't your task. I asked you to kill all four of them." He was displeased, but he already knew why his exact orders weren't carried out.

The shadow nodded his head. "I know. However, I am under heavy surveillance. I can't move freely, and I think their kekkei genkai will come in handy."

The immortal took in and exhaled a deep breath; though, he did not sigh. It was exactly as he had expected. "Pein will be attacking soon. There's no guarantee they will survive, and they might become threats. I command you to remove all threats to my plans."

The shadow paused to consider his orders before nodding his head. "If you are concerned about threats, they are nothing compared to a new development. An alliance is being formed against your plans, and it might be enough to disrupt them too prematurely."

The eye visible through his mask's hole twitched. "You cannot allow the alliance to be forged. Do whatever you can to crush it. I want this problem nipped in the bud, and I mean immediately!" He paused to consider his exact orders for a moment. "Be creative, but ensure one party or the other will never again consider talks."

With a bow, the shadow in the puddle disappeared. Madara was left alone to consider everything that had happened. He still held the most powerful pieces, and nobody had caught onto his true intentions. He intended to keep it that way.

He turned around before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. When he reappeared, he was in a cave already occupied by two shadows. He looked at them with satisfaction. "Are you two almost ready?" He was tired of waiting, but two of his toughest pieces were almost ready to move.

The six 'realms' of Pein surrounded a sickly figure held aloft by an ancient machine. By his side, Konan stood as serene as ever. The sickly figure lifted his thin, pale face to look the seeming immortal in the eyes. "I'm recuperating my energy from the move." He paused to suck in air. "Soon Konoha will feel true pain."

Satisfied with the answer, Madara nodded. "There is one more threat to eliminate. While your 'realms' are sweeping the village for the Kyuubi, that threat will be taken care of." He paused to reflect on a recent failing. "I'm tired of mistakes. If you can't capture Kyuubi because he isn't there, fine. However, don't return without the prize if he shows up."

The sickly figure nodded in understanding. He wanted the coming victory as much as the immortal. He would finally visit Pein upon the denizens of the shinobi world, starting with its most powerful state. "I mean no disrespect, but could you leave me to contemplate how to leave the most pain upon the spite-filled shinobi of Konoha."

Madara smirked underneath his mask. _"Oh, I'm sure I'll enjoy this. He's already imagining how pain equals Pein."_ He resisted chuckling as he held his hands in a simple hand sign. "Do not disappoint me, partner." He disappeared in a swirl of leaves to leave his two companions alone.

Konan turned to the sickly figure. "Nagato, are you sure we can trust him?" She had her suspicions and brought them up with her childhood friend, but she never dared defy any orders given her. As long as Nagato was safe, she was fine.

He rested his tired eyes on his 'angel' messenger. "The world will soon find salvation. Though it will suffer Pein, peace will finally outweigh injustice. Shinobi are the root of this world's injustice, and Pein is not blind. We can trust him because he has seen pain and injustice."

She nodded. She couldn't argue with him. Since they lost Yahiko, she had watched him slowly deteriorate into his sickly almost anorexic state. His six 'realms' were developed as both his ultimate defense and ultimate offense. Even their sensei, the mighty toad sannin Jiraiya, fell to their awesome power. She placed all her faith in Nagato a long time ago.

* * *

Rikka stood before her classmates as she introduced herself. Very few students knew what adorned her shoulders or midriff, but those who did wore expressions of shock and confusion. She stood with a level of confidence nobody else had, and she looked utterly bored.

For a number of reasons, she was an instant hit in the classroom. She was mysterious. Her past was veiled, and nobody knew the reason for her tattoos. She was ranked at the top of the class because of the skills she demonstrated. To them, she was incredibly mature for her age and had sharp eyes.

Iruka shook his head as Yuuhi Rikka, the last student to introduce herself, took her seat at the back of the class. It was always the 'brooding' ones who captured the attention and imagination of the class. As he started his lessons, he wondered if there was anything new he could actually teach the late addition.

* * *

Three human-sized toads rushed in with weapons drawn. Naruto looked on calmly as he easily slid into his stance. He recognized the toads; though, they weren't related to Gamabunta...directly anyway. He waited for them as they progressed forward, slipping into a wedge formation. He noted their positions.

The spear-wielding toad bore a striking resemblance to a poison dart frog, a comparison he hated. He was in the center of the wedge, the proposed first contact. He had most balanced offense and defense, and he boasted the longest reach with his impressive weapon.

The axe-wielding toad bore a striking similarity to Gamakitchi. His body was a light shade of forest green, and his highlights were a dark orange bordering on brown. He was heavy on offense with a very short reach. He was obviously the bruiser meant to leap in at a moment's notice from the left.

The sword-wielding toad looked like a cane toad; light yellowish-brown with dark brown speckles. She was extremely agile with the best defense. Approaching from the right, she was obviously meant to make openings and step in when dodging, countering, and parrying were most important.

Naruto smirked. He hadn't gotten a workout quite to this extent in a while. The there of them might be nothing compared to Pein, even combined, but they were a better solution than constantly sparring his clone hordes. He watched and waited, and he struck with a flourish of motion.

He allowed the spear-wielder to be first. He ducked under the initial swing to send a bone-jarring uppercut into his jaw. He wasn't surprised when the sword-wielder slid between them and parried his blow away. He barely jumped back to avoid a powerful downward swing from the axe-wielder. A smirk crossed his face as he concentrated on a hidden, open palm.

The toads jumped back into formation when they felt the vacuum from behind the blond shinobi. They knew what it meant. They'd felt the effects plenty of times while fighting alongside Jiraiya and, later, the tadpole before them. They also knew they couldn't let him complete the technique.

They sprang forward. The spear came down fast, forcing Naruto to backpedal. The axe came down hard behind him, nearly grazing him and mowing his back. The sword sang as it nearly cut his cheek, prepared in ambush. The entire time, the blond shinobi's smirk grew. They provided a much better challenge than his clones!

It was too late, however. The _Rasengan_ completed, and he pushed it forward. Knowing it was best to defend, the sword-wielder jumped in front to hold off the attack with her weapon. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, the spear-wielder attempted to bring their adversary's feet out from under him.

Naruto jumped, and the axe-wielder was ready. He swung in a well-aimed vertical strike. The blond was forced to spin in midair, but he kept feeding chakra to his spiraling sphere of death. He kept his concentration as he shifted his weight expertly and came down behind the she-toad.

With a shrill cry, she leapt away grasping her shoulder. No blood was drawn, but she had barely gotten away before the powerful sphere could blast her away. "Ugh, my shoulder's dislocated. Yusuke, Kuwabara, you'll have to handle him for a bit."

Kuwabara, the poison dart frog who was actually a toad, nodded to the cane toad. Yusuke, Gamakitchi's lookalike, heaved a breath. "You've gotta be more careful Keiko." He looked directly at her. "You're our best defense, can't be balanced without you."

Keiko rolled her eyes and pointed ahead. Naruto was already rushing them. "Don't forget about me!" He might be easily distracted when his friends were in trouble, but he wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of an opening.

Without their sword, the spear and axe had a lot more difficulty. They no longer had the dexterity to drive the blond off, so they had to rely on reach instead. Their balance disrupted, Naruto slipped inside their defenses and resorted to _Uzumaki Naruto Rendan_. He targeted Kuwabara to remove the reach.

The poison dart frog lookalike hit the ground with a resounding thud. He coughed loudly as the wind was knocked out of him before shakily raising a thumbs-up to indicate he was alive...and promptly fell unconscious. The Gamakitchi lookalike was forced to jump back from further retaliation.

He landed next to the cane toad. "Well Keiko, this doesn't look so good. The tadpole's really improved since the last time we sparred with him." He held his axe defensively in front of him. He knew it was a weapon not designed to be used like that, but he still felt safer.

Naruto's smirk fell. "Come on guys!" He paused to wave his hands emphatically in the air. "I'm not even using my best moves!" He pouted. He didn't want to cause them permanent harm let alone kill them, but they were no comparison to members of Akatsuki if they couldn't force him to resign to them. If he could admit he needed his most powerful techniques, he could accept going full-strength in the spar.

Fukusaku had other plans. "That's quite enough, tadpoles." He looked to Keiko and Yusuke. "Why don't you help Kuwabara out? I'm sure you could all use some rest." They bowed with an affirmative and carried out their orders. The toad sage turned to Naruto and sighed.

"Really, what am I going to do about you? You have too much energy. The tadpoles can't match your strength, and the full-growns can't keep up. Our only advantage is our genjutsu, but that won't prepare you. After all, ma and I will be there to handle those." He released another sigh. "Your clones are also too weak, unless they also use senjutsu. You can use deadly force against them without fear, though."

Naruto rubbed his nose and let his fox grin take over his features. "Don't worry, Fukusaku-sensei! I'm ready for anything dumb-ol' Akatsuki can throw at me!" He was brimming with confidence. Though many a sensei had pounded it in as a bad habit, it was still something that brought out everybody's full potential

Fukusaku nodded with a grin of his own. "I've no doubt, tadpole. Now, let's get home to a scrumptious meal!" He heard his young disciple grown and thought nothing of it. He was hungry and expecting an enticing meal. He still didn't understand what Naruto didn't enjoy about their home cooking.

* * *

A small girl ran through the crowded street. She was no older than three, and her face was as brown of dirt as her dull hair. Her clothes were torn and dirty. They were little more than rags. She was covered in cuts, scrapes, bruises, and blood. She was franticly running to get away from something behind her, something dreadful.

The reactions of the people on the streets ranged from horror to fright to pity. The girl was a demon to the people of the small village, but she was still a young girl. Any children out and about were immediately pulled to safety. They were hidden not from the sight of a terrified girl but from a demon whose wrath might be unleashed at any moment.

A loud throng of torch and pitchfork bearers followed shortly in the girl's wake. They were slowed more by the crowds than she was, and she was able to gain much ground. Her limbs, however, were much shorter, and her stamina was running out. The bottomless well that always seemed to feed her couldn't replenish her worn muscles.

She started to stumble. She fell once, twice to skid across the ground. She pushed herself up, knees and palms bleeding. She had to get away. She heard cries of hatred. "Demon!" She heard. "You're just biding your time to bring your wrath to us!" She shuddered. "What did you tell those forest animals?!" She cried in terror, but she did not scream. No, her throat was too sore for a voice to escape.

She looked around to gaze at the building tops. Were her protectors going to save her again? Was her uncle going to spring into action any second? She could barely see through tear fogged eyes. She could only feel the street gravel on her bare feet as she pumped as much energy as she could into her worn muscles.

The streets were emptying. She could feel it. She never understood it, but she could always tell how many people were around and approximately where. There were buildings to either side of her, too tight to allow for alleys. People were inside, watching in fright or pity. She knew; she could feel it. Most were afraid of her, but a few did pity her plight.

She was trapped. There was nowhere to go but forward or back. If she went back, she was certain to meet death. The angry people with torches and pitchforks were back there. The innocent girl knew nothing of death, but she knew pain. She knew the pain they had inflicted and wanted to inflict. She kept running forward, feeling them shorten the distance with every passing second.

She knew people were up ahead, too. They hadn't seen her, so their feelings towards her were neutral. Would that change when they saw her? Were they her best hope? They were different people, too. She didn't recognize any of them, and one shone with unusual brightness. The unusual one was kind and gentle. It was a warm and bathing light to her weary body.

Somehow, she was able to pick up speed. The bottomless well fed her. It nearly overwhelmed her. She felt the energy surround her, and she saw red flicker around her. It was happening again. As her negativity grew, her powers increased, and she saw colors. She could tell something was different, though. She saw flecks of blue in her peripheral vision. What was happening?

She saw the new people as an arrow barely missed grazing her. She saw soldiers. She heaved, but she continued forward. If she was going to have to get through them to meet the amazingly bright person and only possible chance of salvation, she would. As fresh tears streamed down her face from ducts she thought dry, she wondered what the soldiers would ultimately do.

They looked at her. They felt neutral. They looked at the crowd behind her. They felt enraged. What was that? They weren't angry or horrified of her? They were, instead, angered by the crowd behind her? It was a new and alien experience. Only her protectors ever cared about her. Only her protectors ever drove off the scary people.

She felt the amazingly bright person break from behind the soldiers. She suddenly felt protective arms around her and dreadful weight off her tired feet and strained muscles. She shuddered reflexively in the arms of the bright person. She felt kindness and gentleness direct towards her even as she felt rage directed towards the crowd. _"I like this bright person..."_

"Why are you protecting that demon?!" She shuddered. "She's none of your concern! Leave her be!" She heard. "She was telling the animals to attack our village! Our lives are in danger as long as that demon draws breath!" She cringed, and then she heard gasps. "Dai-Daimyo-sama!"

Daimyo-sama, what did that mean? The child had never heard such a phrase. She had also never heard nor felt such respect. It was directed towards the amazingly bright person. Instinctually, she held tighter and tried to sink into the incredible warmth. Then she felt a familiar presence; though, she dare not look in its direction. Her protectors were coming, and her uncle was leading them!

"What is this?" A woman's voice, the child recognized. The voice belonged to the warmest, brightest person she had ever felt. She was protected by that warmth. She was embraced by that brightness. "You _dare_ raise such violence against a child?!"

"With all due respect Daimyo-sama, that child is a demon." A powerful man spoke, obviously the leader. The child didn't recognize his voice, so he probably chose to remain silent to conserve breath. "She talks with animals, waiting to invite disaster. Since that scourge has arrived, we've lost more crops and livestock."

The woman looked gently down to the child, but she couldn't see through fogged vision. She cringed when something came to close to her, but she recognized the softness as flesh. It felt like when uncle wiped her tears away. She instantly relaxed under the gentle caress even as her body convulsed under waning sobs. "Shush now child, you're safe with me. I won't let the bad men hurt you."

She couldn't talk, throat sore and aching. The child barely nodded her head as she hiccupped and convulsed. She was scared of the crowd, but she felt more reassured than ever in the kind woman's grasp. _"Daimyo-sama must mean kind woman..."_ Her childish mind reasoned. She had no concept of honorifics.

"Shion-sama, shall I handle this crowd?" Another new man's voice spoke out. The child didn't feel the same kindness and warmth from him, but he held no negative emotions towards her. He was an oddity to her, completely neutral. She felt no formed opinions even after the cruel words of the crowd. No, she felt spite towards the angry crowd. She didn't understand.

"Try not to hurt anybody, Mizukura-taichou." The woman responded. The child grew confused. Did the woman have two names? Was one a title? Both names were spoken with the utmost respect. She felt her savior moving, backing away from the angry crowd and into the neutral soldiers. Neutral, they were _neutral_ towards her.

The soldiers were soon joined by her protectors! The girl turned her head to see her uncle, brilliant red hair chaotically dancing atop his head, facing the angry crowd. The soldiers had stopped. She felt their confusion. Her uncle turned to look over his shoulder, confident his allies and her protectors could fend off the crowd if they decided to attack.

Her tearful eyes latched onto his brilliant red-green orbs. He was angry, angrier than he had been in a while. While he directed gentleness towards her, his rage was apparent and nearly overpowering. He turned his gaze towards the amazingly bright woman. "I thank you for your intervention Daimyo-sama. Shall I leave these ruffians to your men, then?"

The warm, bright woman nodded. The child watched as her protectors bowed and backed away from the coming scuffle. She felt their intentions. They were not going to interfere. She was confused, very confused. The events weren't unfolding as they usually did. Usually her protectors were able to arrive sooner and drive the bad men off. Now, she was protected by an amazingly bright woman who went by both Shion and daimyo. She wanted to feel the kind woman's warmth forever, and she felt her lids grow heavy from fatigue.

* * *

"After Mizukura handled the unruly crowd, I had a long talk with the child's protectors. They were late because they hadn't even noticed her missing. That child in those torn and dirty rags with skin and hair brown and dull from dirt and blood was my innocent Momo-chan."

Shion looked around the gathered crowd. Though she despised the story because it showed the worst of humanity, she was pleased with the reactions. The look of disgust was all she could see on the shinobi's faces. They truly were Naruto's friends. She knew they would understand.

Shikamaru stuck his hands in his pockets and settled and uneasy gaze on Momiji. She was sitting at the edge of the playground watching the other children play. She wasn't joining, and she even shied away from any invitations. He turned his unwavering attention to the daimyo priestess. The story was awfully familiar to Naruto's.

Temari was visibly shaking, from both fright and rage. She was disgusted at the treatment the innocent child had received, and she was reminded of her youngest brother's unjust treatment. She wanted little more than to take out her fan and wipe that disgusting village off the face of the planet.

Hinata and Neji looked at one another and nodded. They were going to take an opportunity to examine Momiji later. They looked to Sakura and Ino. The medics seemed to understand and provided assurance that they would do whatever was necessary.

Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru quietly walked closer to the red-headed child. She was in no danger in Konoha, but they weren't taking chances at the moment. They also figured that Akamaru would make a good playmate if she could communicate with animals. Chouji, the gentle soul he was, could only watch sadly as he wondered how to get the girl to be less timid.

Lee, for once, was dumbstruck enough to remain silent. His face expressed his sadness. Tenten resolved to ensure the innocent child was trained to defend herself. If she was going to be adopted by Shion and Naruto, there was little chance in her having a normal life even if she never returned to Demons.

* * *

The 'kidnapping ruse' idea actually came to me a while ago after watching the whole scenario again and reading a few fan fiction depictions of the events. Plus, there's no way the Raikage would want Konoha as an enemy while going after Akatsuki.

The toad names were out of boredom and laziness.

April 12 is Easter Sunday, and I will not be working on this fan fiction that week. As you might expect, that means three weeks until my next update instead of the usual two. I hope to have a release of _Fate, Alchemy, and Bridges_ and/or _Memoirs of a Hokage_ out during that time, however. On that note I have a warning ahead of time, I have a family reunion ("Christmas in July") in a rather easily guessed month. The same will apply then, but I'll still give a warning the update before I disappear.

A final plea, my poll regarding the name of Sasuke's team will be up for the final leg before I start the next arc. If you haven't already voted, don't assume the name you like will win! It's not story critical, but it is for aesthetics.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,076  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

Kumo no Juunihana - Twelve Flowers of the Cloud: Hitohana, Aijsai, Tsutsuji, and Kinofuji are all names of flowers. Though Momiji and Momo are also flowers, the red-head child is obviously _not_ a member, nor is she from Kumo (therefore disqualified anyway). I thought you might enjoy this interesting factoid.


	21. Chapter 19: Uchiha Drops a Bomb

TimeShifter: I certainly enjoyed my Easter. Though unfortunately, I had a lot of work to do (as my boss decided to take a vacation - leaving me with a lot of responsibility). Sadly, it meant little time to work on my other projects as my school finals came first. Again, excellent questions, but I can't answer them just yet.

samueltm2: I'm a bit more interested in balance, and this arc will see if I can bring Pein out of god mode territory...

Fritter: I never actually changed my mind... From the beginning, Momiji was supposed to be exactly who she currently is. I will admit that, originally, my concept for Momiji was born from a 'What if...?' scenario where Naruto and Shion _did_ have a child. However in this story, Naruto only met Shion a few months ago - certainly not enough to have a three-year old daughter.

* * *

**Chapter 19:  
Uchiha Drops a Bomb  
**

Four shinobi bearing no village insignia ducked inside a cavern as a patrol of shinobi bearing the cloud insignia passed. The unaffiliated squad consisted of three teenagers and one preteen. The teenagers were two males and one female. The teenage males had jet black and albino white hair. The teenage female had flame red hair. The child was a brunette.

The albino complained loudly. "What's his?! We're _Hawk_!" He stated their team name adamantly, as if it meant something. "What are we hiding from these second-rate ninja for?" He crossed his arms over his chest, resisting the urge to draw his sword and start a fight. He didn't care that they were outnumbered.

The kunoichi shushed him loudly. "Quiet Suigetsu-baka! What'll you do if they have a genjutsu specialist in their midst?!" She was confident in her skill set, including genjutsu, but she was also certain her hated teammate was loud enough to wake the dead.

The dark haired teen sighed. "Both of you be quiet." His eyes narrowed as he focused his Mangekyou Sharingan. He wanted to make doubly sure the persistent pursuit didn't follow them into the cavern. He was also getting a headache from the near constant squabbling.

She turned heart-filled eyes to him immediately. "Yes, Sasuke-kun!" She held her hands, fingers intertwined, near her cheek as she tilted her head to one side.

"He means you too, Karin." The preteen chided the kunoichi. He readjusted his oversized clothes. It was humiliating to think he was the one slowing them down.

She eyed him contemptuously. Even knowing he could snap and decide to kill them at any moment, she was secure in the knowledge that their leader could and would stop him. "Shove it, Juugo."

Sasuke rubbed his temples, but he managed to look over their smallest companion. "We'll rest here tonight. The cloud nin won't find us here." He didn't continue by saying that the seeming preteen needed time to recover his chakra; though, he could tell the looks from his other companions meant they figured as much.

Suigetsu let out a guttural sigh as he picked a particularly jagged rock to sit against. He stared heatedly at their leader. Begrudgingly, he had to admit he owed his life a few times over to the former leaf nin. "What's the rush, anyway? You suddenly pull us out of Lightning, and I know for a _fact_ you ain't scared of those second-rates."

Karin gave him an incredulous look. "Eh? Didn't he already explain it to you?" He returned her look, and she took on a smug expression as she folded her arms over her chest. "That hit you took do something to your short-term memory?" The look she received was instant gratification to her.

Sasuke interrupted before another, meaningless squabble broke out. "I know we're still recovering from our battle against Kira Bi, but I managed to get some intel off one of our pursuers." His subordinates turned their attention towards him with their own, unique gazes. "Kumo intercepted some communications indicating Akatsuki is on the move. They don't know the whereabouts of Hachibi, so who's their logical next choice?"

Suigetsu gave their leader a condescending look, obviously not understanding the question's importance. Karin mouthed an 'oh' of understanding. It was Juugo who spoke up. "You think Akatsuki's ready to handle Kyuubi, then? Are they ignoring that Konoha has killed several of their members, including two _immortals_?" His emphasis clearly conveyed his skepticism.

Sasuke merely nodded. "My former comrades are no pushovers. I'm sure Tsunade's made sure to put that idiot out of reach, but Akatsuki will do anything to get to him." He narrowed his eyes and looked disdainfully to the floor. "They'll disrupt my revenge and harm Hawk's purpose."

Karin rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Hey Sasuke-kun, what about our little spy? You could use _Tenganyume _to make contact." She paused for a moment before amending her comment sheepishly. "…once we're in range, anyway."

As Sasuke nodded, her comment had an unexpected result. Suigetsu broke the silence to ask a question about something that had been bothering at least him for a while. "Hey, didn't you say you'd explain why you had to involved pinky and that Hyuuga girl in your last scheme in Konoha?"

His question got Karin and Juugo's attention as Sasuke looked up in thought. "I did; didn't I?" He looked at each of his companions in turn. "We were so caught up in Madara's little plan to capture Hachibi that it slipped my mind." Even Suigetsu was rapt in the preamble, awaiting the explanation.

"Orochimaru introduced me to Karin shortly after he started training me. It wasn't until our third meeting that I saw her worth and took advantage of her skills. Even working for Orochimaru, she carried out experiments for me." He ignored her fawning expression and continued with barely a sigh. "I had blood samples I wanted analyzed. It was around that time I discovered how true a brother Naruto was to me…under the right circumstances."

"Get to the point already!" An annoyed Suigetsu blurted out as his eyebrow twitched. "What do blood samples and clandestine experiments have to do with your revenge on Konoha?!"

As Karin was about to reprimand him, Sasuke calmly continued. "You've always been impatient, since the first time I met you." He paused to eye the kunoichi disapprovingly. Though she pouted, she nodded in understanding. "What I have to say is _very_ important and will explain the importance of what comes later." The pale shinobi grunted and crossed his arms in acquiescence.

"Now as I was saying, her experiments were a great boon to me. They helped me solidify my plans. I had to overcome Orochimaru, kill my brother, and restore my clan. As such, I had to ensure the best genetic samples to re-secure the Uchiha and make them a pedestal of shinobi nations."

"Oh, so did you involve the Hyuuga girl 'cause you wanted to mate with her…or was it pinky?" Suigetsu hadn't seen the dreams created by _Tenganyume_. He was proud of his deduction despite it being a mere assumption, so he was thoroughly confused by his leader's expression.

Sasuke sighed before answering the guess. "Don't assume things." He looked to the kunoichi before speaking again. "Karin has an exceptional ability to track chakra. It's a genetic mutation, but it's not enough to be called a kekkei genkai. Given time or the right circumstances, it could develop into one…or it could blend with an existing one to make it stronger."

She puffed her chest proudly as he continued. "In fact, not everybody can manipulate or mold chakra. What we call kekkei genkai is a mutation Orochimaru hypothesized is caused by the ability to mold chakra. In fact until the first ninjutsu, crude uses of chakra included Fuuin and taijutsu, such as the samurai's bushido."

Juugo's spoke up curiously. "Why is Fuuin a crude use of chakra? It takes fine manipulation of chakra up to the point of including impeccable somatic and written cues."

Sasuke nodded. "Of course, but it took too long. It has always been impractical to use in a fight because preparation time always left the user vulnerable to attack. The reason Konoha's Fourth was and is considered so great was because of his mastery of Fuuin. He was able to successfully deploy it on the battlefield."

Suigetsu growled and slammed his fist against the floor. The lecture, as it was becoming, was driven off course by the preteen's question, and he wasn't interested in the history of chakra manipulation. "That's enough! I want to know why you're talking about the Kyuubi like he could be a brother and why you used _Tenganyume_ like you did!"

Sasuke smirked and continued. "Orochimaru studied the past because the Sharingan is supposedly descendant from Byakugan. At one time, he may have been seeking to blend them, but I never cared to confirm it. His research, combined with my own, revealed the best way to revive my clan. I cannot allow Akatsuki to destroy Konoha before the future of the Uchiha is ensured."

Suigetsu gave the last Uchiha an incredulous glare. "You swear revenge on Konoha, and now you say you gotta protect the place from Akatsuki. I kinda understand your reasoning and all, but, more importantly, what are you protecting?"

As his smirk broadened slightly, Sasuke had one thought. _"Now _that's_ the right question."_ He opened his mouth to explain. It was finally time to reveal the truth of one of Hawk's goals.

* * *

Kankuro was watching his genin train. Hanabi was training with Tsume again. Though the girls were the same age, it was obvious who the more skilled fighter was. Hanabi had been trained and groomed in the juuken taijutsu style since she was very young, and her expertise showed. Even without the Byakugan active, she was quick and agile.

Tsume was at a disadvantage, but she was a fast learner. She was blind and had to rely on subtle vibrations through the earth and air. He thought it a bit strange how readily she caught onto things. She had already learned how to detect feints. It was perhaps evidence that he and his other wards had been too easy on her. Did the Byakugan see something they couldn't? Were they just fretting over her ankle?

Hanabi knew nothing of the 'ankle incident' as Mori and Hishu referred to it. She sparred Tsume without thinking over it, and she didn't miss on purpose. Kankuro didn't know if either would admit it, but they seemed to have formed a bond. As he watched them continue, it was difficult to miss their improvement.

His head jerked as he felt something and looked over his shoulder. He raised a brow in curiosity as he saw Hiashi approaching, but he quickly returned his attention to his genin. "Didn't expect to see you here, Hyuuga-san." His eyes shifted to view Mori barely escape a powerful blow from Hishu.

Hiashi set his harsh gaze on the spars. "I came to observe Hanabi's progress." He noted whom she was sparring. His daughter ducked low to deliver a sweeping kick, a common feint to throw the opponent off guard. Instead of jumping over it or stepping back, the blind girl sidestepped and caught the next strike in her elbow. He raised a brow. "If Hanabi had been using chakra, the Tomoyuki would have lost use of her arm."

Kankuro smirked and nodded. "Yeah, but the lesson's not about that." He had seen what the Hyuuga patriarch did, but he was more concerned about how rough the boys were getting. In retaliation to Hishu's violent strike, Mori launched several senbon from small openings in his Karasu's hands.

Hiashi nodded. "I can see that. The Tomoyuki is using what her senses tell her to dodge, parry, and counterattack as necessary. She's adept at handling _normal_ taijutsu styles by turning them against the user." His emphasis was to push home the fact that his daughter was restraining herself from using the real advantages of juuken.

Kankuro chuckled. "She's learned a lot more than that thanks to Hanabi." He didn't miss the angry glower he received. "I must have been too soft on her 'cause she's learned to recognize and deal with feints. I was always worried about going overboard, but that girl of yours has no restraint."

Hiashi returned his gaze to his daughter. He didn't feel like arguing with the Kazekage's brother over formalities. He could live with it as long as the sand jonin was polite. He had, after all, just complimented his daughter's skill and precision. He was certain his daughter, like him, had seen the old ankle injury with her Byakugan. It was very important to be well informed in any confrontation.

"I came for another reason." When he had the puppet master's attention, the Hyuuga patriarch continued. "One of my meetings ended earlier than I expected, and I want Hanabi to attend the next with me. I need to speak with her before the meeting, and I require her to clean up first as well." He looked expectantly to the young man.

"Ah, of course Hyuuga-san." Kankuro stood to call the training to a stop. "Hey, it's time to stop. I'll give you all a break. Say goodbye to Hanabi 'cause her tou-san needs her." The genin stopped and looked at him. With some reluctance, they stopped and gathered to say farewell.

Hanabi quickly left the group and rushed to her father's side. She politely bowed and followed after him when he walked away. The silent exchange between father and daughter was unusual for the genin. Hishu, coming from a pack-like family similar to the Inuzuka, spoke up about it. "Wasn't that a little cold? He didn't even say anything to her!"

Kankuro shook his head and wore a wide smirk. "Nah, don't worry about it. That's just the Hyuuga for you." He turned to face his confused charges. Well, Tsume wasn't all too confused. "They don't need to talk about every, little thing. They say the Byakugan sees everything, so sometimes just a glance is enough for a conversation."

Mori and Hishu didn't really understand, but they accepted their sensei's explanation. Tsume understood better, but she still thought it was a little cold. Hiashi didn't show any signs of disappointment, but he did regard her with a level of neutrality she wasn't used to. She shook her head and followed her sensei and teammates as they walked off to get a treat.

* * *

Rikka stared out the window of Kurenai's living room. It was strange to her to suddenly be without her mother and elder sibling. Tsunade still didn't know who did it, but it didn't bother her as much as she thought it might. She was old enough to have plenty of memories of them, but she had never been shown physical affection.

She sighed half-heartedly when she felt her guardian's presence enter the room. The off-duty jonin sat down on the other side of the room. "What are you thinking about?" She was curious why the faux young girl had been so contemplative lately.

"Am I a bad person?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere. She saw the faces of her mother, fathers, and brothers. She shed no tears over their loss, even if her younger sibling was still alive. She just felt...apathetic towards them.

"No, I don't think so." The pregnant woman watched as the young face turned to look at her. "From what I've been able to read up on your file, you didn't come from the best environment. Maybe you don't quite understand what you're feeling, but you're not a bad person." She smirked. "After all, you're thinking about becoming a legitimate Konoha shinobi."

Rikka nodded. "I am." She paused to consider the admission. "Well, as long as I am satisfied with what I observe..." She wasn't sure she was satisfied with her observations. Naruto was certainly better treated than her mother led her to believe. The denizens of Konoha were far kinder than she expected.

Kurenai's face brightened. "Oh, I heard from Iruka that you made some friends in class today." She suppressed a giggle as the younger-looking occupant fought a blush from forming. She appeared more angry than embarrassed, though, and she seemed to grumble something under her breath. "Oh? Are you disagreeing with your sensei?"

The pale girl looked at the expectant mother dangerously and scoffed. "No, I just don't see the point of calling brats who refuse to leave me alone 'friends'." She really didn't. They were annoying, immature, and far more in need of education than she was. For her, attending Konoha Academy was a punishment, probation.

The genjutsu mistress smiled knowingly before forcing herself up to head to the kitchen. "Now, now, calm down." She paused as she passed through the portal to prepare dinner. "There's no need getting into a huff over some small incident. I'm sure you'll come to accept them in due time." She felt the girl attempt to bore holes through her head with her stare, and her smile only broadened.

* * *

Hinata returned home with Shion and Momiji to see the hawk masked ANBU captain waiting. _"No..."_ She reasoned with herself. _"She's been following me the entire time, or more precisely Shion. Hawk-san probably wants to talk about a security detail."_ She stopped when she saw Hawk moving towards them and bowed swiftly and politely. "Good evening Hawk-san. What can I help you with?"

The trained warrior bowed deeply in a show of respect. "Hinata-sama, preparations for Demons-sama and Momiji-chan have been prepared." She rose from her bow after concluding her report. She then turned to address the guards. "I have been assigned a guard detail which involves my presence on Hyuuga clan grounds. Under ANBU authority, I'll be making patrols as necessary."

The guards nervously nodded which caught Hinata off guard. She spoke up with certainty of her deduction. "Hawk-san, you are Hyuuga. Why do you need to use your authority to patrol clan grounds?" She was _certain_ she knew that voice.

Hawk suppressed a giggle as she turned to face the shy heiress. Her head was tilted to one side as she spoke. "Hinata-sama, I can't tell you." When she saw a reply coming, she stopped it short. "As much as I would like to obey orders to the contrary, I still wouldn't." She paused only long enough for the heiress to blink confusedly. "Now then, shall I escort the guests to their room?"

* * *

Neji, Tenten, and Lee sat together at a booth in a dimly lit restaurant. They seemed in deep concentration as they ate their food in silence. The story they heard from Shion hit close to home. It reminded them of Naruto. Neji, of course, knew the hyperactive blonde's secret. He was sure his teammates had their suspicions, but he had promised to keep and S-class secret.

"That was so horrible." The boys looked Tenten's way as she spoke. "I mean; I know it's not unheard of, but she's just a small girl..." She trailed off as she thought about Naruto and Gaara. Their cases were far too similar to be a coincidence. She knew she didn't have the sharp eyes Neji and Hinata had or the smarts of Shikamaru, but she still had her suspicions.

Lee nodded earnestly. "Yes, it is unyouthful to damage a child's flames like that!" He managed to keep his voice down, but there was the unquenchable passion clearly visible in his eyes. He added, almost uncharacteristically quietly, his opinion on Naruto's matter. "It is most fortunate our own village's mistakes did not damage the flames of our dear friend." He didn't need to say who he was talking about.

Neji nodded and made up his mind. He was sure they would find out soon enough, but he needed to keep his clues subtle enough that they 'found out' on their own. "It is sad that people cannot see past the demons one carries. With such mistakes, more people will walk the path of destruction as Gaara once did." He paused as a dangerous look overtook his eyes. "We are fortunate Momiji seems kind and receptive to warmth."

Fortunately for him, they had once discussed Naruto's merits and the 'strange' chakra he exuded. Tenten caught on quickly enough. With a smile, she had something else to add. "I bet we can break Momiji out of her shell. She just needs some time, and it's perfect she's away from scornful words."

Lee's eyes opened in realization. "Oh, your plan is filled with the flames of youth!" He was too loud and earned a swift kick to the shin from the weapon mistress. He blinked as he returned his voice to a more reasonable tone. "I am sorry. I meant that it I good that Momiji is around people who can accept her. I am sure she will eventually accept our flames and become good friends." He wore an expectant grin.

Neji nodded. He was sure his teammates had caught on well enough. He wasn't sure if they fully understood, but he couldn't come right out and say what he wanted. "As Momiji has shared similar childhood experiences as Naruto, I'm sure those two will get along very well. I'm also sure she'll be receptive to his...blinding warmth."

Tenten and Lee couldn't help but agree.

* * *

Hitohana stood and politely bowed to Tsunade. "It's getting late, and I think we've come to a mutual understanding." He was rather pleased with the results of the day's two meetings.

Tsunade nodded and rose from her seat. "Thanks for the information on Akatsuki and Oto. I hadn't realized how well your spies had penetrated those organizations." She felt she could trust the leader of the Juunihana no Kumo. After debriefing Hinata and Shion between meetings with him, she felt like he was a trustworthy man.

"Oh no..." He carefully corrected the esteemed leader. "I'm only sorry I couldn't tell you where either organization called headquarters. I'm actually surprised I can walk away from this knowing that Rain is where we should concert our efforts with you." He paused to look over his shoulder, a sensation running down his spine. "I suppose that ANBU is to escort me to the hotel?"

She nodded and added nothing more. She had one more meeting before her day was done; though, she just wanted things over and done with. Before he opened the door to leave, she decided to wish him a good night. "Don't dawdle; ANBU don't like to be kept waiting. Oh, and enjoy your rest."

He smirked and gave her an approving nod. He was certain his leader would like Konoha's Fifth. He stepped lightly out of her office and paused to watch two younger shinobi walk in before the door closed on him. "Hmm, the leaf and the sand have a meeting with Hokage-sama?" He shook his head. "Oh well, none of my business."

He quickly located his escort. Cat was there to escort him. She nodded and walked out towards the street. He smirked and shook his head before following. He could accept her reluctance to speak to a foreigner, and it was unlikely she had any inclination to slow down. It didn't bother him. He might not have been in his prime, but he was still capable of keeping up with a little effort.

About halfway to the business district, he felt something ominous fill the air. Eyes wide, he looked to the ground where a powerful Fuuin had already been placed. Before he could warn his ANBU escort, the powerful genjutsu took effect. Cat fell unceremoniously to the ground as he shielded his eyes.

He heard footfalls behind him and quickly spun. What he saw surprised him. An elderly man with a badly bandaged head and scarred chin approached him. He seemed to have a slight limp, but his most outstanding feature was most certainly an absent arm. The man came to a stop a short distance from him before speaking. "I am Danzo, war hawk of Konoha."

Hitohana raised a brow and instinctively reached for his bokken. He carefully controlled his emotions even though he felt naked without his weapon. "I am Hitohana, Juunihana no Kumo. What business do you have with me?" He was also concerned about why he had to use a Fuuin to catch an ANBU in a genjutsu.

The war hawk drew a sword, and the elder cloud shinobi recognized it was held offhanded. He was compensating for losing his main hand, but the important fact was that he was attacking. He lunged forward with a clean swipe to behead his opponent.

Hitohana leaped back and set his sickly eyes on the man who attacked him. He rushed forward and pumped chakra into his forearms. Even without his bokken, he was still capable of fighting. Electricity charged and danced around his forearms as he threw one, two, three punches. He leapt back to avoid another slicing sweep. "Why attack an ambassador?"

Danzo practically ignored him as he rushed forward. He took another swing, but his adversary jumped clean over the strike. As his opponent sailed through the air, he turned and stomped the ground. The Fuuin reacted for moment before a sharp spire rose out of the ground. "You are a danger to Konoha."

Hitohana felt the air catch in his lungs. He concerted his chakra to his legs and feet. The maneuver was going to be dangerous, but he'd survive the earth spear. As he extended his legs, the earthen technique crumbled under his power. "You're making a poor choice, war hawk. It would be foolish to incite war with Kumo."

Danzo actually smirked. "War doesn't sound too bad. After all, I'll soon be Hokage and lead Konoha into its rightful and glorious future." He lunged forward and swiped his blade again. As he did, a spark seemed to light the tip of his blade.

Hitohana ducked under the swipe, a task made easier by the sunken earth he created. He pushed forward with his forearms leading. He crackled with power as he tried to stop the man he now saw as deranged. "You fool! People will die!"

The smirk Danzo wore turned dangerous. The spark that lit the tip of his blade faded for an instant before exploding into a pillar of fire. As his adversary was caught in it and fell to the ground, he almost sang his next words. "You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet!" He swung down, hard, only to hit solid ground.

Hitohana stood a good distance away, having barely escaped death. "If you don't stop this foolishness, Raikage-sama _will_ find out!" He paused as his attacker raised his blade for another strike. "Don't you know that the power of the Hitohana records the seeds of vision? If you don't stand down now, your treason _will_ be known!"

Danzo's expression twisted into maniacal seriousness. "The Third and Fifth were weak. Though the Fourth also believed in peace, he was at least strong enough to _force_ others into it." He shook his head. "I not only know about the powers of your Juunihana; I'm _counting_ on it."

He swung his sword down hard, and a fierce blaze came into existence. It seemed the Fuuin molded his chakra for him because he hadn't made any hand seals. It also shifted slightly whenever he prepared his chakra for a strike. The powerful technique made enough noise to drown out anything that was said.

Hitohana, however, could read lips. He read perfectly what his attacker said. "If the Third had only handed over the Kyuubi like I wanted, we would have had a powerful weapon." As anger flooded him, he pushed as much chakra as he could into his hands and thrust forward. He managed to overwhelm the dense inferno and cut through to...an empty space!

He looked up too late to see Danzo over him with his sword held in execution style. "...and now you die." He swung his sword down hard, confident he wouldn't miss. He was confident his mission was cleared and a final obstacle removed.

Hitohana barely managed to cast a genjutsu over his own eyes. He saw the leaf symbol come into existence over his attacker's chest. He saw a scratch clearly bisect it. As he felt the sharp edge of a katana cleanly cut through his neck, his last thoughts lingered on the message he sent. He could only hope it was interpreted correctly.

Danzo stood over the bloody corpse and violently shook his katana to clean it of blood. "That ought to send a clear message to Kumo. They won't ever try negotiations again. The war hawk has fulfilled his duty, and Konoha is safe from a threat I cannot recover from." He walked away from the bloody scene not at all concerned for the blood splattered on his robes.

* * *

Back in Danzo's quarters, two ANBU watched their quarry sit in deep meditation. One suddenly jerked his head up and looked around. He spoke quietly. "Hey, did you feel that? I thought I felt his chakra spike, and I could have sworn I saw a seal flash into existence for a second."

The other ANBU shook his head in the negative. "I didn't sense anything suspicious." He was silent for a moment before amending his comment. "I think you're getting tired. Maybe we should request a break; we have received a lot of shifts lately." They were quiet for the remainder of their shift as nothing new happened.

* * *

Tsunade nodded her head in greeting as Shikamaru and Temari entered. "I'm glad you came. I know its short notice, but I think it's important that we discuss what we've learned so far." She was anxious to get more information on Akatsuki, and she was sure Jiraiya's extensive notes had to have left behind _something_.

Temari nodded and was the first to speak up. "I think it's important we discuss the information we intercepted between rogue elements in Wind and Akatsuki." She awaited a confirming nod from Konoha's leader before continuing. "As you know, Suna recently killed two missing nin from Iwa. We also confirmed they had connections with Akatsuki and were apparently to observe Gaara."

"We can assume Akatsuki has done the same for Naruto." Shikamaru said without hesitation, earning a suspicious glance from Tsunade. "It's troublesome, but I'm not stupid. Akatsuki's after Naruto. It doesn't take a genius to figure out he contains the Kyuubi, but nobody really cares enough about it to really think about it."

Tsunade sighed but relented. It was good enough the lazy shinobi didn't hate the blond genin. She motioned for Temari to continue, which she promptly did. "Those communications weren't very important, at least at first. They were observations on Gaara's behavior after the extraction." She stopped to sigh before continuing. She didn't like the discovery. "However, they did indicate a certain...readiness to move on Konoha."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, they're ready for something big." He paused to place a manila folder on the heavy oaken desk. "From what we gathered from Jiraiya's notes, he suspected pretty much the same thing. After confirming the container for Hachibi, Akatsuki's next target was Kyuubi. Since Kumo announced the capture and very likely death of their jinchuuriki, there's little doubt Naruto's next."

Tsunade sighed as she took it all in. She was already studying the contents of the folder; things were looking grim. On the bright side, Naruto was out of the village and in great care. Few knew where he was, so it was less likely anybody could be tortured into revealing that information.

"There's more." Shikamaru's statement brought his leader out of her musings. He scratched his head with a yawn before continuing. "Jiraiya made sure any information he gathered was written in a very _strong_ and complex cipher. He made certain his knowledge was passed along, but he probably hoped his written reports would never be necessary."

He shook his head and shrugged. "Its troublesome, but we've found _four_ ciphers for his works. I won't go into the boring details, but that means we have a lot of information. Naruto, Kanaeru, and Isaribi have been as vital in finding the ciphers as Temari and the rest of the code breakers."

Tsunade wore a smirk as she commended them on their hard work. "Thanks to you, we might have a good chance of stopping Akatsuki before they've gone too far." She looked to the outline on various topics covered in Jiraiya's research. "Well, when can I expect the full report?"

Shikamaru and Temari blinked at each other before the latter answered. "Uh, we're still compiling all the information and sorting it. There are personal letters and a will mixed in with it all, and we want to respect his final wishes..." She took the dangerous glare she was receiving from the buxom blond in stride. "We can probably have it done by the end of the week..."

She trailed off as she felt several chakra signatures appear in the room. She instinctively reached for her fan, even knowing it wasn't there. Cat, Dog, and their squadrons appeared kneeling before their leader. Dog spoke up; Cat was too ashamed. "Hokage-sama, Hitohana-san was found dead moments ago near his escort's unconscious body."

Her eyes went wide. "How could this happen?!" Her voice shook the walls as he hands nearly slammed through the desk...which would need to be replaced. She stared vehemently towards the assigned escort. "You were assigned to ensure his safety! How could you fail your mission so spectacularly?!"

Cat showed no signs of response even as she cowered under the harsh reprimand. Dog, again, spoke up. "Hokage-sama, we found evidence of a massive Fuuin at the scene. It appears to have been used to power an unidentified genjutsu and harness several ninjutsu. Currently, Elephant, Tiger, and Bat are investigating the scene. Dispatches have been sent to any other taichou who could help in this matter."

Tsunade wasn't pleased, but there was nothing she could do after the fact. She turned a scrutinizing gaze to the assigned escort. "I expect a full report. Normally, a genjutsu should not have affected your ability to perform your duties. Until further notice, you are relieved of your status as ANBU...pending a full investigation." She had little doubt the Fuuin amplified the genjutsu beyond her abilities to quickly dispel.

Cat understood the required reprimand. She held no fear of punishment, even if it meant a visit to Ibiki. She would endure it for, in her mind, she had failed Konoha spectacularly. Still kneeling, she tightly wrapped her hand around the grip of her blade and unsheathed it. She laid it against the ground and stood.

She looked at Shikamaru and Temari before reaching for her mask. Tsunade held her hand up to stop her. "Dog will escort you to Bull. Once there, he'll explain the situation. You can turn in your mask there." It was no use revealing who an ANBU was even _if_ being decommissioned. She was angry, but she had to think like a leader. Failures happened, and it was quite plain to see that the ambush was prepared ahead of time.

The ANBU disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Tsunade turned weary eyes to her remaining guests. "You two get some sleep. I expect to see reports on my desk..." She looked at her ruined desk with an anguished sigh. "...as soon as they're ready. Give them to Shizune if you need to, but I expect to see them. Dismissed."

Shikamaru and Temari nodded before they left, exiting through the door. It wasn't nearly as flashy, but it was just as effective. They all shared the same thought. It was going to be a long night, and morning wasn't going to make things any easier.

* * *

Fukusaku tapped his foot impatiently as he awaited Naruto. The tadpole told him he would only be a few minutes, but it was taking entirely too long. When he finally heard the door latch click, he yelled at his latest pupil as soon as he was in view. "What are you dillydallying around for? We need to continue your training so you're ready for whatever Akatsuki throws at you!"

He stopped to observe Naruto as the hyperactive blond sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, come on Fukusaku-sensei. I'm not _that_ late. Besides, I finally remembered I had this change of clothes!" He spread his arms wide to proudly show off his very orange choice of clothes.

The sagely toad had to admit the genin was bold. He also had to admit that the blue outfit he _had_ been wearing was easier on the eyes. Well, he had no real complaints as long as the tadpole was willing to learn. He turned and started hopping away. "Well, come on. No point being later than need be. We'll start off with some light meditation."

The hyperactive blond rubbed a hand against his face. He knew it was important for senjutsu, but he couldn't get used to how _boring_ mediation was. He sighed and followed after his latest sensei. At least he felt a whole lot stronger since he arrived. Maybe he was ready to protect his precious people from Akatsuki rather than the other way around. As much as he hated to admit it, he could only take credit for the removal of _one_ of the criminals.

* * *

The current leader of Kumo rapped his fingers against his desk several times in rapid succession. He hated admitting he was bored. He had pursuit teams chasing after Uchiha Sasuke and his team. Even if he was still awaiting permission from Konoha to kill the brat, he still fully intended to be the one to capture him.

The reports he was receiving from the field weren't to his liking. The pursuers hadn't found anything. They had lost all traces of his little brother's killer. He also had relatively nothing to do since all missions for the day had already been assigned. He forcibly resigned himself to his office to await news.

He was awaiting a report from Hitohana. He was awaiting some permission or denial to execute a foreign shinobi, not willing to risk war when he could have allies against Akatsuki. He was awaiting _any_ kind of information that would either make or break his day. He hated admitting that bad news was better than no news. It was so wrong that it was against his morals!

He looked to a picture of his little brother on his desk, and, in an overdramatic display of emotions, tears spilled forth from his eyes in a magnificent waterfall. He loved his little brother. He missed his quips and poor singing...if it could be called that. Well, he could admit his little brother was at least poetic.

He looked to the door, and, in a moment of little brother-induced wit, said something he knew sounded stupid _and_ un-poetic. "My chakra sense is tingling!" He almost groaned at the stupidity even as the door opened and a chunin entered. He wore a frantic expression as he rushed in, nearly tripped, and spilled what he was carrying on the leader's desk.

The Raikage, always believing himself a good-humored man, took it all in stride. His attention was quickly riveted, however, on a small, comma-shaped object. He raised a brow as he commented on it. "Is that a Hitohana memory seed?" The only response he received from his subordinate was a worried nod. "Has anybody else viewed it, yet?"

The chunin nodded hurriedly. "Yes, Raikage-sama." He nervously sighed and swallowed. "The other members of the Juniihana no Kumo agree that immediate action is vital." At the incredulous look he received from his leader, he carefully continued. "The current Hitohana is dead, and his last memory seed reveals his...murder."

The leader's eyes went wide. "Hitohana is dead?!" He was in a state of shock for several long moments as the information sank in. "He has been a long time supporter and advisor..." He looked up shaking a fist with tears in his eyes. "His murder won't go unpunished! Now, show me his last memory seed!"

The chunin nodded. "Of course, Raikage-sama." He paused before nervously continuing. "The Juniihana no Kumo also request permission to seek the next carrier." He knew how much the imposing man valued friends and family. He was obligated to bring up any requests from the Juniihana no Kumo, but he feared any coming reaction.

The powerful man half-snarled as he waved it off. "They can seek the next bearer of the name Hitohana at any time they wish. I want to view his last memory seed _now_!" He watched as his subordinate wordlessly responded. In a few moments, the final moments of his valued friend and advisor's life flashed before his eyes.

As he watched, he also observed the chunin's reactions. The younger shinobi seemed genuinely surprised that a one-armed, badly mangled, and old man could ever hope to defeat the esteemed leader of the Juniihana no Kumo. The intricate Fuuin adorning the ground didn't seem to catch the young man's attention, but it certainly caught the elder's consideration.

As a bisected leaf emblem appeared on the old war hawk's chest, Kumo's leader sighed in recognition. "I see, old friend. You're final wishes have been received." The chunin looked at him confused. "Hitohana was a wise old man. He had a knack for figuring things out. You might not have noticed it, so I'll explain it to you."

"First, Danzo, as he called himself, prepared a massive and intricate Fuuin ahead of time. He knew where Hitohana was going to pass through ahead of time, and he knew this because he was either told by legitimate or illegitimate sources. Second, he spoke of Konoha's jinchuuriki with contempt. Third, he spoke of usurping the rank of Kage."

The chunin nodded. He saw where his leader was going, but he did not interrupt. It was usually best to let the imposing man finish any speeches or monologues. "Hitohana might have been wrong, but he was always more interested in peace and this village's welfare than his own."

The elder shinobi nodded his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I do not know what Danzo's purpose was or why he treated the attack like a mission with a zealous attention to detail. However, his actions were labeled as treasonous by somebody I would trust with my life."

The chunin nodded and, hoping his leader was finished, finally spoke up. "Should I pass the message on to the rest of the Juniihana no Kumo? They were deeply saddened by Hitohana's death and would like to ensure a worthy successor." He waited nervously through several, long moments of silence.

Kumo's leader took a deep breath as he thought over his options. He didn't want to play his hand too early, and he felt it only appropriate to allow Konoha to investigate the event before reporting who the culprit was. He figured there was a good chance delaying any action would give Danzo a chance to slip up and reveal his motives. He also wanted to have a civil conversation when he finally got to see the five Kage in person, including Konoha's esteemed leader.

He, however, couldn't leave the Juniihana no Kumo completely dissatisfied. He was already thinking up some angry response to the message he was sure Konoha was preparing. He felt the Hokage was partially responsible for only assigning one ANBU as a security detail. At the same time, he figured more protection would have made little to no difference. Even he had to be realistic; Danzo was well prepared.

He reached his decision, even if he felt it was already made for him by his most trusted advisor. "We'll give Konoha time to investigate this incident. While the Juniihana no Kumo will be informed of all the details, we won't give any to my counterpart in Konoha just yet."

The chunin nodded, but the leader of Kumo continued. "We need help to defeat Akatsuki, and Konoha feels the same way. I doubt the slug sannin, as wise as rumors tell..." He knew she was also a legendary sucker when it came to gambling. "...would be so willing to risk her village or jinchuuriki. I want to see just where her loyalties lie and if peace is really so important to her."

The chunin nodded. He wasn't sure of Konoha's intentions, but he was certain in his Raikage. He trusted his superior and didn't believe he'd do anything to purposely harm the village. He politely bowed. "As you wish, Raikage-sama. The Juniihana no Kumo will be informed of your decision."

As the imposing man watched his subordinate leave, he hoped he was making the right decision. The fact that Hitohana cast a genjutsu on himself _definitely_ meant something. He could have easily dodged the attack that beheaded him. Instead, he chose to, quite literally, leave a message in a bottle.

He trusted his old friend; he really did. He just didn't know how the game would play out. Why was the old war hawk planning a coup de tat? Did the Hokage know his intentions? He doubted she agreed with the bandaged man if she did. The biggest question on his mind, however, dealt with Konoha's jinchuuriki. What were Danzo's plans with imprisoned Kyuubi?

He had a lot of questions and very, very few solid answers. Each question only expanded his confusion. As his attention turned back to his little brother's photograph, he was even forced to wonder if Akatsuki would receive its karmic just rewards. They had killed his little brother and another valued jonin of his village for what? ...to power some super weapon?

He actually shuddered to think what that kind of power could do in the wrong hands. _"No..."_ He corrected himself. _"I'd shudder to think what that kind of power could do in the _right_ hands, too."_ As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't think of just who possibly had the type of responsibility to wield the great power of the bijuu and not become corrupt.

* * *

Sasuke looked over his shoulder to eye Karin for what felt like the hundredth time. He relied on her to be the most level-headed of the group, and she was. He still kept an eye on her to ensure he knew when any pursuit teams were nearby. For what felt like the hundredth time, there was no pursuit team.

Suigetsu and Juugo were distracted, but they would easily get into any fight they were forced into. Team Hawk's leader understood perfectly. He dumped a lot of information on them before anybody could get to sleep the night before. He was sure they were experiencing something similar to when he first made conclusions from various research subjects.

* * *

Suigetsu stared at Sasuke in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that?!" He looked around. While Juugo seemed skeptical, Karin looked like she'd just discovered several missing links. "You're saying some no-name half-pint has the necessary genes to be a possible...prognator of the Uchiha?"

Sasuke sighed. "It's progenitor, and yes." He really hated explaining himself again. "At first, Orochimaru thought he could blend the Byakugan and Sharingan because genetic characteristics in elders were very divergent. At some point in his studies, he found that any attempt at blending would cause only one to manifest, with a high likelihood of it being the Byakugan."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "I understand that part." He growled in annoyance. "The Hyuuga girl ain't gonna help repopulate the Uchiha clan, so she ain't your target. The problem is the half-pint! He's just some no-name who ain't even from a clan. It's like you're saying...I don't know...he's from some forgotten clan!" His exclamation was almost a question.

Sasuke closed his eyes to ward off the encroaching headache. "I don't know, nor do I care. Somehow, perhaps through some miracle, the half-pint without even a clan name is capable of giving rise to the Sharingan. Perhaps, like Karin, he has a simple genetic mutation, and his just happens to provide what is necessary to evolve the Byakugan."

Suigetsu's head was reeling from information that didn't make sense to him. He wasn't a scientist like Karin, and he had no interest in genetics like Juugo. He knew the latter was only interested to overcome what he saw as an affliction. The swordsman tapped a finger against the cave floor impatiently. "You wasted all that chakra just to try this...blending experiment of yours?"

Sasuke nodded. "I formed Hawk specifically to help me accomplish my goals. I always planned to take care of Itachi myself, and, as I've accomplished that, it's no longer important. Now, I need Hawk to take revenge on Konoha and ensure the survival of the Uchiha. As such, that means defending one half-pint and one Hyuuga as necessary."

* * *

Admittedly, I think this is about my worst 'lead-up' chapter, yet. I think I've answered a few questions created previously only to cause a lot more. To be perfectly clear, I probably put too much thought into background and real reasons to everything. Though I hope you enjoy, I'm sure this chapter is pretty bad.

I'm a bit disappointed in the poll results as it had so few votes. Nonetheless, I'll carry out the landslide victor by referring to Sasuke's team as Hawk (as opposed to Eagle previously).

Is it just me, or does Nagato seem like a little brat? I mean; he admitted that _his parents_ were the ones who attacked and were killed in self-defense. I've lost a lot of respect for him I might have had as a big bad.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,013  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Tenganyume_ - _ Clairvoyant Dream_: see my story _Naruto: School Daze_ for more information...


	22. Chapter 20: Breaking Dawn

TimeShifter: Excellent questions all, and they should be considered very, very carefully. I can't answer most of them for spoiler purposes, but there are a few things I can say. One, I had no idea I had implied a Sasuke/Karin pairing until I went back and read it after your comments... Wow... Second, it can be said I predicted how Kishimoto would use Danzo. Think about it! He helped create Pein by aiding Hanzou...and possibly for similar reasons as to why he attacked Hitohana in this story. Also, there are backstory reasons as to why he called himself a war hawk. That'll come up later this arc. Third, most of the Danzo/Hitohana fight questions _should_ be answered this chapter. I always considered Danzo to be strong. How else can he intimidate Tsunade when he's so badly mutilated? Fourth, Hitohana targeted _himself_ with the genjutsu, so Danzo wouldn't have sensed it. To him, the mission was accomplished successfully. Finally, Naruto's return to orange is important because I forgot to change it back way back when the training started (as he was leaving Konoha). It completely slipped my mind...

samueltm2: I was really worried about the last chapter. I'm glad to see it was well received!

* * *

**Chapter 20:  
Breaking Dawn  
**

As the dawn sun broke the horizon, some business owners were surprised to see ANBU barricading the streets. Various captains were barking orders, but several were concentrated in the center of some array. The civilians didn't recognize what, exactly it was, but they knew a ninja technique when they saw one. They also knew to stay out of their leader's private army's way when they were conducting operations.

The early morning scene created rumor and speculation, but no hard facts were present. The crime scene, consisting of Hitohana's body and blood, was already cleared. Only the seal array remained. Elephant and Bull stood in the center, following the intricate lines outward carefully with their eyes. They already had their own speculations, and they stood contrary to non-shinobi.

"It's just a training exercise. They'll be cleared out by morning rush, no harm." "It must be something new to protect the village." "It's an enemy! Somebody managed to sneak in!" The tension in the air was palpable, and it felt like anxiousness tinted with fear.

"You found anything yet?" Bull's gruff voice broke the monotony; though, the citizens didn't hear him.

"Yeah, but you aren't going to like it." Elephant finished scanning his section of the array before turning to deliver his analysis, careful to keep his voice stealthily low. "This thing's pretty intricate. The exaggerated lines in the center are the first array, designed to guide and mold chakra based on the user's method of injecting it."

Bull nodded. "I figured as much. Somebody as skilled as Hitohana could have kept up with most jonin in the village. The array must have been used to augment the attacker's jutsu, make them faster or something. Still, we should have been able to sense something."

Elephant shook his head with a heavy sigh. "The center is only the first array; I'm afraid. The second is a powerful genjutsu and amplifier. I suspect it knocked out Cat." He knew the next question without any hints. "…and she didn't sense the genjutsu for the same reason we didn't sense any chakra spikes." He paused for slight dramatic effect. "The third array encapsulated it all and made it undetectable."

Bull looked out over the array for the umpteenth time. _"With Jiraiya-sama gone, Elephant is probably our foremost Fuuin expert. I thought this array was one, large seal. Whoever arranged this was well prepared and understood ANBU…"_ He turned to face the Hokage's tower. "We must report this to Hokage-sama."

In an instant, they were gone leaving only a swirl of dust and leaves. The remaining ANBU quickly changed tasks from restraining citizens from interfering with the investigation to cleanup. The business owners were happy shortly thereafter as they could finally open shop, not too late for the morning rush. As status quo was restored, the streets were filled with the usual crowds of buyers and sellers going about their business and ninja preparing for a long day's work, longer if the mission called for it.

It was in Tsunade's office where the real hustle and bustle was taking place. The buxom Hokage hadn't gotten a wink of sleep since being informed of delegate Hitohana's death. She constantly received reports and gave orders. She'd already ordered a messenger hawk be sent to Kumo to express their deep regrets and provide information on the progress of the investigation.

She was like the queen bee in the middle of a hive, and it was abuzz with activity. With the arrival of Bull and Elephant, that activity nearly came to a complete halt. Tsunade looked directly at them with a pleading expression. She wanted answers, and she wanted them as quickly as possible.

Bull locked his gaze on her bleary eyes. He knew she needed sleep, but he knew her well enough not to force the issue. Instead, he focused on his report. "As you suspected, the array was responsible for Cat's failure. However, it was set up by somebody who understands ANBU procedure well."

As Tsunade raised a brow, Elephant elaborated at a silent cue. "The large array was actually three. The first was the largest and aided in killing Hitohana. The second was a medium-sized array designed specifically to knockout any interlopers. It was a nonfatal genjutsu. The third absorbed excess chakra to prevent detection."

As Tsunade's brow furrowed, Bull continued. He knew her temper well enough. "It's obvious the perpetrator was well aware of nearby patrols. The perpetrator was also intimately aware of escort selection. I cannot rule out treason, revenge, or sabotage as motives for the attack."

Tsunade looked up, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Wouldn't sabotage be labeled under treason as a motive? We were negotiating with Kumo in order to rally our forces against Akatsuki. What other reason could there be to ruin negotiations?"

Bull never waivered from his leader's gaze. "Unfortunately, I must label treason and sabotage as separate motives. If it were treason, the perpetrator did it for purely selfish reasons, perhaps awaiting a reward from a source outside the village. If it were sabotage, the perpetrator may have thought it was in the best interests of the village."

Tsunade nodded. "I can understand your reasoning… If you look at it from that perspective, the investigation can move forward without prejudice." She hated to admit it, but they had to look at anybody who could have pulled the attack off. As she shifted the information around her head, she thought of the autopsy reports.

After a moment, she returned her gaze to the two ANBU captains. She wasn't concerned about the other presences in the room. Shizune and the other captains were all well trusted. "According to the autopsy, something 'strange' happened to Hitohana's eyes before his death. Also, his death was caused by the severing of his head from his body. The examiners believe the weapon, likely a katana, was handled offhanded."

Bull barely nodded as he accepted the information. He knew Elephant was analyzing the information as well. It was safest in the ninja world not to assume how somebody died. When they found Hitohana beheaded, there were two possibilities. He could have been executed using that method, or he could have been beheaded only after he was killed.

The confirmation aided little in the investigation, but it provided potential clues to the use of the complex array. The perpetrator potentially had a handicap not allowing him or her to properly mold his or her chakra in combat, or at least while wielding a precise weapon like the katana. Then, the perpetrator was skilled and knowledgeable enough to overcome any such difficulties. Finally, a skilled offhanded fighter either dual-wielded or was incapable of using his or her main hand.

Bull was forced to concede that the clues could be nothing more than red herrings. A skilled ninja was never caught. A great ninja made it look like somebody else did it. A truly great ninja hid their identity in plain sight to make it impossible to tell. With trained precision, he finally made a request. "I've read reports a chunin Nara is quite good with puzzles…"

* * *

Hinata was sitting with Kiba, Shino, and Shion in one of the open areas in the Hyuuga estates. It was midmorning, and they were watching Momiji play with Akamaru while they talked. As they thought, the child was able to bond easier with an animal than her peers in the park. It was sad, but they had a plan to break her out of her shell.

"That's good to hear, Kiba-kun." Hinata smiled as she responded to his good news.

"I know! I've been so _bored_ since that last mission." He exaggerated a shrug and a sigh as he shook his head. "I was just cleared last night. I swear; if I didn't smell so much of Yoshi on her, I'd think Sayumi just wanted to keep us there."

Shion yawned in an undignified manner, without covering her mouth. She idly commented on her adopted daughter playing the large, white-furred dog. "Well, Momo-chan certainly wants to keep you around, if only to steal your partner." She had a certain understanding of the Inuzuka and how the canines were more partners than pets. In fact, he corrected her the first time she used the 'offensive' word.

He chuckled. "Yeah, at least somebody's having fun!" He turned his attention to his partner. "Hey Akamaru, how's the brat treatin' ya?" Akamaru barked then yipped. "Huh? Don't give me that! You sound like miss prim and proper over here!" He got slapped upside the head for the comment on Shion. He looked at her as he rubbed the spot. "What was that for?"

Shion shook her head. "Are all you Inuzuka so rude? Her name is Momiji, and mine is Shion." She paused for a moment as she considered something. "Make that Shion-hime to you."

His response was cut off by his bug-taming teammate. "It is unwise to insult a visiting dignitary." Shino turned to face his dog-taming teammate, an intimidating air surrounding him. "Why? Konoha desires to keep her alliances strong to maintain the peace."

"Sheesh…" Kiba chuckled. "You really love to lay it on thick, don'cha?" He shrugged. "It never hurts to tease friends, and they _are_ Naruto's friends." He felt he beat his friend's logic there.

"She doesn't appreciate your inappropriate behavior." Shino kept his response short enough to annoy his teammate.

It worked. "Oh yeah!" Kiba clearly showed signs of anger. "I bet she doesn't like you using your bugs to keep track of them!"

Shion tensed as Shino explained as calmly as ever. "It would be unwise not to insure their safety." He directed his attention back to Momiji and Akamaru. "If the need ever arises, my insects ensure the most expedient pursuit."

The priestess daimyo shuddered for a moment. "I can understand that, but it still creeps me out." She decided _not_ to tell her precious, adopted daughter about the bug crawling around somewhere on her.

Hinata smiled kindly as she reassured her friend and rival. "Don't worry Shion; Shino keeps tabs on all his friends that way." Her reassurance did _not_ work. The ruler of Demons shuddered as an image of a swarm or infestation came to mind.

* * *

Lee shadowboxed the air before leaping high into a whirlwind kick. He was excited as he walked down the streets with his teammates and sensei. They were on their way to the Hokage's tower to receive a mission assignment. Sayumi cleared both Kiba and Lee for active duty at the same time, and he was just as excited to be freed for training and missions.

Tenten shook her head and sighed. "Lee, you know their going to give us an easy mission to make sure you're back at a hundred percent, right?" She wasn't trying to put a damper on his spirits, but he could really annoy her sometimes. He just had too much energy.

Lee clenched his fist and looked to the sky with a fire in his eyes. "It does not matter! I am free to return to active duty and show the world my youthful flames! It does not matter to me if the mission is D-rank or A-rank. So long as I can revel in my springtime of youth, I shall go where I am called!"

Unfortunately, Lee and Gai decided to express their sincere acceptance of youthful exuberance. Meaning, they embraced embarrassingly. Fortunately, Tenten and Neji were well prepared and kept walking without looking back and putting something to good use. After careful practice, both knew how to block their hearing with a thin coating of chakra.

They shared a common thought. _"Ah, peace…"_ Shortly after, Lee and Gai had already caught up. By that time, they were near the business district and an unusually high concentration of ANBU patrols. They were immediately suspicious and slowed their pace to try to gather information.

* * *

Sakura watched as Sayumi and Yoshi cared for a particular patient. It was an unusual case. He was suffering from chakra burns. They were freshly minted to the medic nin corps, but it was vital to constantly assess their skills. They also had an interest in finding out what had caused the chakra burns.

He wasn't suffering from chakra exhaustion, and his coils were fresh. It wasn't caused by a fight, and he was well rested. He was in a lot of pain, however. He was under Inoichi's command and had been injured while monitoring his superior. The question was simple. Did Pein somehow cause a feedback through their prisoner, Inoichi, and finally the observational team?

If they found the answer in the affirmative, was anybody else suffering from less severe forms of the chakra burns? They had to find the cause and treat it before they lost valuable shinobi. They were fighting to save the patient's life, but his case provided necessary clues to preserve the lives of others. It was a doctor's responsibility to detach emotionally from the patient.

It was harder for younger or less experienced medics. Sayumi and Yoshi were doing a better job than most their age _and_ experience level. They were a little cold since their teammate and sensei's deaths, but they also hated to lose lives because of the same incident.

To those without life-threatening ailments, they didn't have the best bedside manner. Kiba and Lee experienced their detachment firsthand. They were professional and never gave in to their collective demands to return to active duty. They still needed further treatment, but their nervous system was no longer in any danger.

Sayumi and Yoshi never lost any sleep over their tactfulness. They made excellent decisions that were both ethically and logically sound. They were more concerned about their current patient's health than they ever were over Kiba and Lee. An erratic pulse and sharp breathing tended to worry doctors.

Sakura took a moment to look out the window to the midmorning sun. She hoped Tsunade was okay. Her sensei was stretched thin with the abrupt end to negotiations, and ANBU were everywhere. Some weren't even trying to hide their presence, as if trying to smoke out a scared rat. It was going to be a very long morning.

* * *

"You've been spending so much time with the code breaking department." Ino whined. "_Please_ tell me you guys have found something!" Since Asuma died, she wasn't comfortable not knowing what was going on with her closest friends and longtime teammates.

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome... I _can't_ tell you anything about what I'm working on. It would be beyond my security clearance if I wasn't working on it." Okay, he told a white lie. It would be beyond his security clearance if Tsunade said otherwise. She wanted him on the case because she trusted him _and_ he was very intelligent and open minded. He also figured she was grooming him to advise Naruto if and when he became Hokage. _"Troublesome."_

Chouji stuffed a handful of potato chips in his mouth. He thankfully spoke only after swallowing. "Can't you at least tell us you've made some breakthrough? Ino's been worried; you know." Truthfully, he was too. He had seen his best friend rarely since being called to work on some big decipher project.

Ino went puppy-eyed. She knew few could resist. "Pah-lease, Shikamaru!" She folded her hands together dramatically and leaned forward. "You don't have to tell us any details! Just tell us you've made _something_ out of the big mess."

Chouji shook his head and resisted chuckling. There was one thing he knew about his lazy friend. He _could_ resist the puppy eyes; he just thought it was too troublesome. He decided to chime in. "We know it's got something to do with Akatsuki..." He paused. "...and Naruto."

If Shikamaru wasn't as clever as he was, his pleasantly big-boned friend's last comment might have been the straw that broke the camel's back. As it was, he only got one word out of his mouth... "Troublesome." ...before a plain-masked ANBU landed behind him.

"Hokage-sama wishes to see you." He disappeared as quickly and silently as he had appeared, leaving two stunned teens and one rolling his lazy eyes.

As he stood, yawned, and scratched his back with a long stretch, he realized he really should have seen it coming. "Troublesome." He looked to his friends and teammates. "Well, I'll see you later." He left once they had recovered and said their farewells.

* * *

Konan stood beside Nagato in their hidden fortification. She had carefully placed chakra absorbing notes among her paper to ensure they were not found. She only knew what was going on for her observational and detection skills. She also knew her childhood friend better than anyone. "Are you sure about this? You could have anybody attack Konoha. I'm sure Zetsu or..."

He interrupted her before she could continue. "No, Kyuubi has proven most difficult to apprehend. He has escaped no less than three attempts. It must be me." He turned his sickly face to the paper mistress. "I shall see Konoha's Pein with my own eyes.

She nodded. She wasn't sure of his plan, but she trusted and supported him. She could only hope his answer to hatred, pain, and war was the right one. They had come too far to pull back, and she was certain he could accomplish the rebirth of the world. She still sadly looked down.

His hatred had eaten away at him. He was a mere shadow of his former self, and he was nothing like she had imagined when Jiraiya described his destiny of peace. He was stretched thin to maintain his Pein Rikudou, and he had to use the accursed machine to supplement his chakra supply.

Nagato's expression became distanced. Konan knew he was concentrating on the collective visions of his Pein Rikudou. She had to settle for what she could see and sense from their vantage point near the top of their fortification. She waited for him to speak, always patient.

His eyes refocused after several, long moments. "I had thought about simply sending my incarnations into the village to wreak pain and suffering, but I think I know a better course." He didn't notice his childhood friend wince. "I'll destroy the Hyuuga compound and wound their pride. It'll cause great pain and mass confusion."

Konan was wide eyed in worry as Nagato sent his orders to Tendou. The powerful main body looked out over Konoha with his expressionless gaze. He directed his energy over the Hyuuga estates as commanded. The clouds over the village grew turbulent with power, and those sensitive to chakra looked up in alarm.

"Nagato!" Konan screamed fruitlessly in a rare display of emotion. She felt the penalty too high for the technique he decided to start with.

* * *

Tobi was in rare form. He was giddy without hiding his true persona. He was Uchiha Madara, and he was truly enjoying the spectacle. The Pein Rikudou were in formation and prepared to move in. Though, he wasn't surprised to see the gathered chakra over his hated village.

He watched in unadulterated delight as wind and light picked up. He suspected more than saw even civilians looking up to the unusual weather pattern. It was early morning, so light shouldn't be coming from directly overhead. He could almost hear the whispers and murmurs sweeping through the streets as fear took hold on the people's hearts.

It was everything he had dreamt of and more. Soon, very soon, he would have his revenge on Konoha. Pein would destroy it, and he would dance on its grave and revel in delight as he snuffed out its dream. The Senju would finally pay for betraying him. He was also aware of the first target. Finally, the last of Konoha's pride would fall.

* * *

Sasuke and Hawk were at top speed. They felt they could make it to the Valley of the End by midday. They were also confident they had evaded all pursuit teams from Kumo. They only had to worry about standard patrols from Fire. It was nothing they couldn't handle. With Sasuke's Mangekyou Sharingan and Karin's chakra sense, it was elementary to evade even the most skilled patrols.

After a long morning of silence, Suigetsu couldn't take it any more. "Hey Sasuke, what happens if we can't get there in time and either the Hyuuga or half pint kick the bucket?" He was never subtle, and he earned another angry glower from the red head of the group.

"Karin knows what to look for, genetically, if worse comes to worst." Sasuke had his suspicions about where to look if Hinata died, but he was far less certain about Naruto. There were no records about an Uzumaki clan even in Orochimaru's vast database, and he was certain no such clan ever existed in Konoha. As such, he wasn't certain about his former blond-haired teammate's lineage.

Karin blushed at the praise. "Sasuke-kun, should we start gathering information on the whereabouts of suspected candidates?" She wasn't Orochimaru's top researcher, at least at her facility, without reason. She had a photographic memory and could list all Sharingan progenitor candidates off the top of her head.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I refuse to see failure as an option. I've come too far to be stopped now. I betrayed Konoha and killed Itachi. I _shall_ return the Uchiha to their former glory, and the ninja world will be reborn...starting with Konoha." There was also another problem he couldn't admit. If Naruto died, there were no candidates for the genetics he could provide.

They raced to the Valley of the End. They raced to begin a campaign for regeneration. They each had their own final, end-game goals. While Sasuke dreamed of a resurfaced Uchiha clan, Karin dreamed of helping him. Suigetsu dreamed of becoming the world's strongest swordsman, even reigning over Kiri. Juugo dreamed of a peaceful, normal life in which he no longer had the urge to kill.

With Madara and Pein already in Fire and at the gates of Konoha, they were in a race against time.

* * *

Mizukura wasn't a shinobi by any means. He understood the principle behind molding chakra, and he had a rudimentary chakra sense. The massive buildup of chakra over Konoha was pervasive to his untrained coils. He fell to his knees, oppressed by the raw sensation. Even with his keen intellect, he couldn't pinpoint the target. He could only pray that Shion and Momiji weren't where the massive energy was targeted as he watched in horror.

The instant after the energy exploded outwards, the Demon's camp was set upon by strange creatures. He recognized them as ninja summons. As he forced himself to his feet, he drew his katana to fend off tooth and claw. As his first opponent fell clumsily by the wayside, he was already molding his chakra and injecting it into his technique.

The camp was surrounded by a protective barrier, highlighted by a faint glow. He sweated and breathed heavily at the titanic expense. He doubted he could make a repeat performance and hoped he didn't have to. His eyes widened as he saw the summons throw themselves against the barrier. It shook and rippled where they hit, but it held even under mounting pressure.

Mizukura fell to his knees as the powerful blows were transferred to his mind. He was strong willed, and he wasn't about to see his men hurt. The number and variations of summons, though, had him worried. Were there a dozen shinobi out there? To his knowledge, the rule was one summoning contract to a single shinobi. The strangest aspect, however, was that each and every summon had irises consisting of three concentric rings.

Then he saw two shinobi walk out of the woods. One was commanding _all_ the summon beasts. It was an unheard of feat. Was any, single shinobi capable of holding multiple contracts let alone commanding all effortlessly? The second simply walked up to the barrier and placed his hands against it.

Mizukura felt his mind awash with pain. His head tilted back and his mouth open. His throat was quickly sore, but he couldn't hear himself scream. He was screaming; wasn't he? The effect was instantaneous. Though the barrier held, his soldiers' morale was shot. Though the barrier protected them, it wavered and quaked under the new assault.

He was forced to fight harder. Through pain, he managed to throw more and more chakra into the barrier. Still, he felt is slipping away. His pain increased, and, not for the first time, he wished he understood more than the basics of chakra manipulation. It felt as though his chakra was being sucked through his coils. It felt as though he was expending several times as much chakra as usual.

Finally, he collapsed. With his chakra spent, his stamina and resistance came to an abrupt end. With his last vestiges of consciousness and strength, he issued what he thought would be his last command. "P-Protect Demons-sama... Fi-..." His head rolled as he fought blackness. "Fight b-bravely!"

He fell forward with a sickening thud. Blood trickled from his nose and ears, revealing the strain on his psyche. His men didn't know if he was simply unconscious or dead, but they doubted he was the first casualty. They saw the massive attack that seemed to flatten a large section of Konoha. Some even felt it with their limited training in chakra manipulation.

With one cry, they rushed the only two offenders they knew. The two shinobi stood unflinching. The only sign of movement was the second as he lowered his hands to his side. They stared, emotionless and stoic, as the summons attacked en masse. It was over before the Demons army could put up a resistance.

Chikushoudou and Gakidou turned and returned to the other members of Pein Rikudou. They knew the leaf shinobi were already scrambling to find out what was going on. They were also certain civilians were already being evacuated. It was a calculated risk, but they were certain the Hyuuga were mostly destroyed.

* * *

Yamato, Anko, and Sai were well beyond Konoha's gates when they felt the tremors. They looked back to Konoha to see if they could tell what happened. Curious, the former ROOT member had one question. "Should we return?"

Yamato shook his head. "No, Hokage-sama entrusted us with this task. She'd be disappointed if we returned now." He carefully looked to the third member of their party.

"Hey, don't look at me. You're the one in charge of this expedition, not me." The dango-loving kunoichi shrugged. "I'm only tagging along 'cause Tsunade seems to think my knowledge on Orochimaru will come in handy."

Yamato nodded. "Our orders are to use the information provided by Kumo to track the last remnants of Oto. Once at Fire's border, we should be able to pick up some sort of trail. Now, Oto isn't as much a concern as Akatsuki, but there may be double agents we can get information off of."

He knew the mission was similar to his first with Team Kakashi, but he didn't let failures stand in his way. It was doubtful that Kabuto was the only possible source of information. If Akatsuki could inject him so deeply, they doubtlessly had others. For whatever reason, Oto and Akatsuki were at odds. Perhaps they had the same, ultimate goal, but such thoughts were mere speculation.

They had a mission and were quickly traveling at ninja speeds towards the boarder between Fire and Rice. It came as no surprise, really. The snake sannin seemed obsessed with setting up camp near enough Konoha to move against her quickly. The country also had no hidden village, at least anymore. The Fuuma were practically the last remaining shinobi clan, and, to their knowledge, only one remained.

* * *

Tsunade could only watch as the strange chakra gathered and condensed. From her vantage point, it looked like the Hyuuga estates were flattened. Dust still clouded the air, and it was clearing away painfully slowly. Where she had clear line-of-sight, the ground was indented and buildings crushed. She couldn't see people from her distance, but she was certain any bodies they located would be dead.

She turned to the ANBU in her room, who were instantly at attention. "I want damage and casualty reports, now! Taichou, coordinate your squads and report directly to me. Bull, reactivate Cat. For the time being, we need her." She bit her lip. It wasn't time for squabbles. She could concentrate on the traitor and arrest him or her later.

She felt slight relief when her subordinates followed her commands and cleared out. Only Shizune was left in her room. She turned to her with a weary expression. "Prepare triage for casualties. Order the complete evacuation of civilians. All genin squads are given the C-rank mission of escorting and protecting civilians. Their jonin sensei are to report to their stations with the rest of the chunin and jonin. Dismissed!"

Shizune quickly left to fulfill her orders. It was easier to use messenger birds. All chunin and jonin knew what to do based on flying patterns alone, but she was sure most were already following emergency directive orders. She also knew the D-rank mission of escorting civilians to the Hokage monument was upgraded because the genin would be acting without jonin backup.

It was a risk, but it was a calculated one. It was only as she reached the roof that she understood the devastation. She also became witness to what seemed like the most absurd invasion ever, but its absurdity was what made it genius.

An oddly pierced woman appeared in Konoha's center. She calmly bit her thumb and leaned down to touch her bloodied hand to the ground. With a great puff of chakra smoke, an army of summon beasts appeared and spread through the streets. The plan would easily foil Konoha's ability to count invaders, and the number and variation of summons seemed impossible.

Then Chikushoudou trumped herself. She used her technique to summon five more oddly pierced persons. They were all male, and Shizune couldn't help but tremble at their presence. Their chakra capacity was astounding, but there was something even more frightening. She could sense their chakra, but she couldn't sense what medics called an aura.

All living beings gave off a distinct aura. With training, medics were able to differentiate between them. It enhanced their ability to heal. It also enhanced their ability to distinguish between hopeful and lost causes. The six people standing in the center of Konoha just didn't feel right. They almost seemed...dead.

It defied logic. Shizune knew dead bodies couldn't produce chakra. In fact, death caused chakra coils to shut down first. A patient might have a heartbeat and/or breathe even after the coils collapsed. There were even cases of continued brain function well after the coils stopped producing chakra.

The very existence of the six she witness was both a medical marvel and improbability. She was so distracted that she jumped a little when a finger poked her shoulder. She turned to see one of the bird keepers staring quizzically at her. "Shizune-san, is there something you need now?" She was sure it was an emergency or she never would have interrupted a commanding officer's musings.

Shizune nodded her head, no offended. In fact, she was glad to be drawn from her thoughts. Her distraction could have potentially severely retarded response and defense efforts. "Yes, Hokage-sama has initiate emergency response procedures. All genin are assigned C-rank escort and protection missions. Civilians' safety is to be ensured. All chunin and jonin are to report to their assigned stations."

As the messenger birds were sent out, Shizune returned to her musings. Konoha was being invaded by seemingly impossible opponents. Based on her assessment, she suspected they were the Pein Rikudou Jiraiya reported. However, she was certain the one Jiraiya killed was still very much secure and dead.

There was no mistaking her count. There were most definitely _six_ people attacking. They had already spread out, and she could sense chakra spiking all over the city. The shinobi were responding to drive off the invaders. With a nod, she knew she had to report to Tsunade. She knew her observations were vital. She only wished her sensei and her ANBU were more rested. They were still weary from a long night.

* * *

Fukusaku felt unease as he watched Naruto concentrate. He didn't understand why, but the tadpole's emotions were rubbing off on him. He did feel impressed that the anxiety hadn't ruined his concentration. He was successfully employing senjutsu to balance inhuman weight on his shoulders...while surrounded by _Kage Bushin_.

It was an astounding accomplishment. One _Kage Bushin_ was enough to disrupt Jiraiya's concentration. The army of one thousand clones wasn't even pressing Naruto. Something else was. The cold sweat on his face indicated just that. He was distracted by something he felt.

_"No, that can't be right..."_ Fukusaku didn't understand it at all. Naruto's mood would shift sometimes for inexplicable reasons. It wasn't so bad; the toad sage was willing to wager. Through the intense experiences, whatever they were, the tadpole had grown. He was able to maintain concentration even while distracted. Better still, his form was perfect. He hadn't had even the smallest fleck of stone appear in days!

Deciding the concentration drill was over; he whacked Naruto over the head with his chakra-absorbing staff. "Enough of that, you can practice your jutsu now." He shook his head and resisted rolling his eyes as the young blond jumped up and down. He followed at a more reasonable pace as the hyperactive shinobi rushed off to another area...dispelling clones along the way.

Once at the waterfall, Fukusaku noticed a far more sedate Naruto call two clones into existence. They stood perfectly still and called on senjutsu. Once transformed, the clones sat and concentrated at the waterfall. The original breathed deeply and practiced his form.

His eyes, though open and watchful, were distant and anxious. He slipped into each stance with practiced ease, and he was fully aware of every source of energy around him. He was intimately aware of body, spirit, and natural energies while a sage. He didn't even have to concentrate on any of it, a bit of a surprise for the elder toad.

It was probably near time to return the tadpole to his village. His progress was astounding, and there was nothing else to teach him. In fact, the runt had learned nearly as much training himself as he had from the elder toad. He had combined Fuuton with senjutsu in ways that astounded.

Though he had no formal Suiton training, he had picked up on that. While he couldn't use Suiton techniques outside of sage mode, it was still a magnificent sight to behold combined with senjutsu. Fukusaku was surprised by Naruto's logic. The idea of combining elemental chakra with senjutsu was to counter the most powerful members of Akatsuki.

The elder toad was impressed, but he understood something important. Naruto had the strangest way of thinking. It was outside the box and _very_ unorthodox. Fukusaku liked it, and he was unashamed to call the surprising ninja a genius, away from his prying ears of course. There was no point giving him a swelled head.

He didn't understand _where_ the blond genin got the inspiration to use senjutsu without merging. He somehow solved the problem of looking in both directions at the same time. It was ludicrous! It was simply impossible! The number one, hyperactive, knuckleheaded, surprising ninja lived up to his reputation. He was truly one of a kind, a diamond in the rough.

Naruto looked like an idiot, but his inventive nature spoke otherwise. His fighting formed looked undisciplined, but his ability to adapt to any situation proved multifaceted. His clothing coordination looked like he was just asking to be killed, but his ability to escape and evade were astounding. It was unthinkable to Fukusaku that such a fine example of shinobi skills went unnoticed for so many years.

It was unforgivable, and he regretted his inability to help his finest student's son. He was making up for it in teaching senjutsu to a new generation. He was buying back lost time by giving the child much needed recognition. He was securing the future by ensuring Jiraiya's destined child was strong enough to do what needed to be done.

* * *

Shikamaru wasn't halfway down the road from his teammates when it happened. The street was illuminated by a bright light from above, and wind and dust swirled around them. Ino and Chouji quickly made their way to his side to look at the gathering storm above them.

It was no natural storm; they were sure of that. It was composed entirely of chakra. The clouds were turbulent around the area. They stared wide-eyed and mouths agape, except Shikamaru. In a strange moment of seriousness, he spoke their collective mind. "This is bad... This is _very_ bad..." For once, 'troublesome' was too weak a response.

In an instant, the chakra condensed. The implosion was immediately followed by a violent explosion, directly over the Hyuuga estates. The deafening sound was followed by waves of dust as buildings were flattened and bodies sent flying. As shinobi, they instinctively held fast to the ground with chakra, but they were forced to shield their faces from oncoming debris.

As trained shinobi, they were instantly in action. Without a command, they split up for search and rescue. They were going to find and save as many lives as they could. They had to rescue people, civilian and shinobi alike, from collapsed buildings and heavy debris.

Fortunately, the people they rescued quickly joined the search and rescue. Most shinobi caught unawares were able help themselves, but some were too mired by the strangeness of the attack to do anything before being struck unconscious or buried alive.

They were surprised to find few dead among the casualties. There were plenty of injuries, ranging from minor to life-threatening. Fortunately, Ino was a medic. She was able to stabilize any major or life-threatening injuries before they were transported to the hospital.

After handling the outer rim of the attack, they looked worriedly to the epicenter. They looked at one another and nodded. Shikamaru spoke up. "I'm sorry guys, but I need to get to the Hokage tower. I'm sure Tsunade'll need me. You two handle things here."

Ino nodded. "Don't apologize. We all have our responsibilities. Right now, Konoha needs you _there_ more than here. Besides, Chouji and I can handle things." She gave her friend a reassuring smile. Even if things were dangerous, the shinobi of Konoha were strong.

Chouji gave his best friend a thumbs-up. "You get going, Shika! We'll hold our own; don't worry."

Reassured, Shikamaru finally left his friends behind. He had to get to the tower. He had to get more information and help them strategize. He could be lazy and watch clouds later. He could call things troublesome and complain about women later. A blond with four pigtails came to mind, and he managed to find that lazy bone despite himself. "Troublesome woman..." Thankfully, he felt better.

* * *

Sakura was too distracted to watch Sayumi and Yoshi perform their autopsy. Their patient had died from severe chakra burns. In a series of traumatic events, his chakra coils suddenly gave out and collapsed. Despite their best efforts, he died painfully as they could do little more than watch.

They had worked to save him, to his last dying breath. It had all been fruitless. As they investigated his body for how the anomaly killed him, Sakura sadly gazed out the window. It was always hard to lose a patient, but they had learned something. The chakra burns were caused by a backlash when he tried to tell Inoichi something. It was a mental defense to prevent probing, something the Yamanaka patriarch had carefully bypassed.

As she contemplated the discovery, her gaze floated outside. Her eyes went wide as her throat constricted. It felt like her heart had jumped into her throat, a physical impossibility. Her stomach felt like it sank. Over the Hyuuga estates, a massive pool of chakra formed. It caused turbulence, light, and wind. When it exploded, it knocked the entire hospital staff, several pieces of equipment, and any patient not strapped down to the floor.

Even watching, Sakura had been unprepared. Still, she was the first to her feet. She couldn't stop her eyelids from blinking in astonishment. Great clouds of dust rose from the streets, and it looked like a great deal of damage had been dealt to the Hyuuga estates and immediate surrounding areas. She covered her mouth in fright. What if Hinata, Shion, and Momiji were still there?!

Sayumi and Yoshi were quickly by her side. They felt their hearts seize at the sight. It was almost too much for them to take in, and it brought images of their teammate and sensei's deaths to the surface. They were brought out of their stupor by their superior's next commands.

"Prepare all rooms to receive injuries! Send all civilian doctors and nurses to the Hokage monument to set up triage and prepare for civilian casualties. Make sure all medics have soldier pills on hand and are ready to treat all casualties." She looked directly at them as they gawked at her. "We are in a state of emergency! Tsunade-sama will declare it soon enough, move! Ignore any DOA for now and to ensure as many survive as possible. Move!"

Her harsh command when they didn't immediately move managed to kick them into gear. As they left the room, Sakura turned back to the window to gaze at what she could see of the destruction. It was the same as the botched Oto-Suna invasion three years ago. Except this time Akatsuki was after Naruto, not Orochimaru after Sasuke.

She clenched her fists at her side as her body went rigid. With a look of raw determination, she made a vow. "I _won't_ let Naruto get taken away! Akatsuki isn't getting its dirty paws on my teammate and friend!" Adamant, she turned and stormed out the room. If there was ever a time to prove she was stronger, it was facing an invasion.

* * *

From their vantage, Team Gai couldn't tell exactly where the chakra was concentrated. Neji activated his Byakugan, and his face twisted in abject horror. Noticing, Tenten begged him for answers. "What's going on, Neji? What's wrong?" Also concerned, Lee and Gai watched and waited anxiously for a response.

His expression morphed from horror to outrage. "It's above the Hyuuga compound! The enemy's targeting my home!" He had his pride as a Hyuuga, but it wasn't the same as the 'snooty' elder council, as he described them. Then he took in a sharp gasp of breath. "Hinata-sama's still..."

He was cut off as the explosion shook the ground. Screams filled the streets, and dust rapidly moved in like early morning fog. Neji practically shook with rage before the feeling of loss and depression took hold, and he fell to his knees. The air was so thick with chakra and dust that he couldn't see the Hyuuga estates. He couldn't see his home.

He couldn't see Hinata's fate.

As a single tear rolled down his cheek, he felt his emotions transform once more. It wasn't hope that filled him and gave him motion. It was rage. It was hatred. Wobbly, he made it to his feet. He felt his coils as if they were on fire. It wasn't anything like what he saw his cousin use one time, far from it.

His chakra was being supplemented by his emotions. He felt stronger, driven. Whoever had destroyed his home and removed his cousin's future was going to..._pay_! He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned an angry glower to his teammate.

Tenten shook her head. She knew exactly what he was going trough his mind. She felt it at their connection. She couldn't see chakra like the Hyuuga, and she couldn't sense any deeper meaning to it like medics. Her chakra control was mediocre, but she knew her teammate very well after four years of partnership.

He didn't allow the chakra or hatred to subside, but he understood what she was trying to convey. As a jonin, he knew his responsibility. It was to the village first. If he could save lives, he was going to. If he ran across whoever caused the destruction, he was going to make that person pay dearly.

It was unwise to cross the Hyuuga. _"Individually, we are dangerous. As a group, we are powerful. United, we are unstoppable."_ It was something his father told him when he was young. He didn't understand it until Naruto soundly defeated him. Neji knew he was only an individual. He knew the branch or main were merely a group. Together, they could be an invincible, united front.

Though he doubted it at first, he kept faith in Naruto's eyes. His eyes were always better despite lacking a doujutsu. Hinata was the glue to unite the houses. She was the one he was willing and able to put his faith in. If she was gone, he doubted he could have faith in Hanabi, and he _knew_ he didn't have faith in Hiashi.

Then he realized something. There was an inkling of hope forming in him. _If_ she was gone also meant _if_ she was still alive. He could believe. She wasn't the weak, undependable girl he saw not three years ago. She was stronger. She had faced in chunin trials again and nearly fought him to a standstill.

He respected her, and he found it an unusual sensation. He trusted what he once hated. He put his faith in what he once saw as trash. _If_ she was dead, his hatred would avenger her. If she was alive, he was going to make sure she knew she had his support.

He saw the messenger bird in the sky but ignored it. He knew his responsibility. "Thanks Tenten." He was appreciated of her in more ways than he dared count. She didn't need to speak to reassure him, and his head was cleared of doubt. He still felt his rage and hatred, but he'd deal with it in time. "We should report to Hokage-sama and see if we can help distribute orders."

With a plan of action, Gai nodded his approval. "Yosh! Even facing tragedy, it is youthful to keep one's head. Let us show our youthfulness to Hokage-sama and reassure her of our youthful resolve. Come my youthful students! Prepare yourselves!"

Though they would normally reel at his boisterous display, Neji and Tenten were too distracted. They quickly followed after Lee and Gai towards the Hokage tower and Tsunade's office. They didn't even complain at the grueling pace. There was too much going on, and complaints were something selfish in a situation calling for selflessness.

* * *

Madara was actually rolling on the ground. He was actually laughing in delight. Even if they failed to capture Naruto, Pein had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. He attacked the Hyuuga estates _directly_. He managed to break Konoha's back, morally and militarily, in a manner of seconds.

He didn't care about the risk _Shinra Tensei_ represented. Nagato was _his_ rook to use as he saw fit, so was Konan. The Akatsuki fitted their roles for him. He manipulated everything as he saw fit, but he didn't see himself as the king. No, that was reserved for his weapon. It had to be preserved until it was ready. He was the queen that protected it, and Akatsuki was the necessary army.

Deliberately, he stood and straightened his black robes. He faced a nearby puddle and activated his communications technique. "Servant, answer my call."

The indistinguishable shadow appeared in the puddle and met the secret leader's gaze. "Yes master, I answer your call."

* * *

I forgot that Mother's Day was the week after my parent's anniversary, so I was a lot busier than I thought I was going to be. Hopefully that doesn't reflect poorly in this chapter. Well, that's the beginning of Pein's attack.

I _really_ liked this chapter, but it was hard to write. It also reintroduces my ability to write several different perspectives along the same or similar timelines.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,001  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

Pein Rikudou: Six Realms of Pein

_Shinra Tensei_ - _Almighty Push_: Tendou's ultimate technique, _Shinra Tensei_ utilizes gravity (possibly space/time) both defensively and offensively.


	23. Chapter 21: Cacophony

TimeShifter: Just so everybody's on the same page, Hinata was still in the Hyuuga estates. With that out of the way...Kakashi's children wouldn't have the Sharingan, anyway...unless he gave his eye to one of them... Anyway, moving on. The invasion is similar, but I can assure differences. I hate to follow exactly when I write it out, anyway. Interesting ideas for Danzo, and I'll admit I already have plans for him. I do hope you enjoy this chapter; though, it's admittedly not as intense.

samueltm2: Thanks as always, let's see if the energy can continue.

serin2: I'd say something about not stealing, but I find myself not really minding... Ha, anyway, Shinra Tensei seems to be the 'do anything' technique. It was used at a small level to repel anything or a large scale to blow up most of Konoha. I double checked before I wrote the chapter just to make sure as I wasn't a hundred percent certain myself.

* * *

**Chapter 21:  
Cacophony  
**

Karin came to an abrupt stop and nearly fell from the branch she barely landed on. Shortly thereafter, the rest of Hawk stopped to turn and look at her. Their glares were inquisitive, but nobody spoke. Her eyes were wide from shock, so they knew she was in a trance-like state from a powerful expulsion of chakra. They had to wait for her to recover to ascertain its source and direction.

Eventually, she recovered enough to look up from the ground. Her gaze fell in line with Hawk's trajectory. She stared straight ahead, to a distance her eyes could not traverse. The rest of her teammates followed her line of sight to see where she was staring off to. Finally, Sasuke spoke up. "Karin, what did you feel?"

"I-..." Karin stammered for an answer. Her body convulsed as she shored up her resolve. "I don't know..." She trailed off as her thoughts raged. "It was huge, whatever it was. I don't know if it came from Konoha or just somewhere up ahead, but it's _definitely_ in the direction we're traveling." She looked expectantly at their leader.

He barely nodded his acknowledgement. "We're staying on course. If we run across whatever Karin sensed, we'll determine then if it's a threat we need to deal with or not. Anything of note about the chakra?" It was more an order than a question, but he understood the importance of a calm, reassuring tone than the snake sannin who trained him.

She nodded as she carefully considered what she sensed. Whatever it was, it wasn't there anymore. At least it was too weak for her to sense. She sorted through what she felt and pushed past the shock that clouded her judgment. Though she sensed the impatience of her annoying teammate, Sasuke and Juugo's calm kept her in the right state of mind. When she was confident she could relate what she felt, she started.

"I've never felt anything quite like it. It was an immense jutsu, so I couldn't get a clear reading. It was definitely some sort of time/space jutsu, only on a scale I've never even dreamed of." She paused to think about it. "Well, no, I can't say that...with Konoha's Fourth that is." She shook her head of meandering thoughts.

"I can't accurately gauge it, and it seems to be too far away for you guys to sense... However..." She looked at her leader in careful consideration. "I'm sure it was a raw jutsu, seal-less or genetic. Your eyes can't copy it. If whoever used the jutsu turns out to be an enemy, we have to fight without holding back."

Sasuke's brow ticked once. He hated running across powerful techniques his Sharingan couldn't copy. Try as he might, even the _Rasengan_ was beyond his ability to copy. He'd seen it countless times, but it was a raw technique requiring no seals. He thought it would have been easy to copy because of the rawness, and he understood how it formed. In practice however, he failed to produce it.

He knew he was missing something and could learn it himself, but he had already realized that he'd have to learn the steps the same way as his former teammate. The news that a powerful technique was beyond his grasp was never something he wanted to hear. With a nod, he was forced to accept it. He turned and, wordlessly, continued. Hawk followed without hesitation.

* * *

Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon frantically rushed through the apartment complex. They had to make sure all the residents were evacuated. Most were shinobi, but some, like Kurenai or Rikka, were inactive or students. They passed on orders to active shinobi, and tasks were quickly joined.

The genin squad led all remaining residents to the Hokage tower. Kurenai cursed slowing the group down, but her body refused too strenuous an activity. Nobody accused her of delay, and everybody was supportive. In fact as it often is, it was the pregnant that set the pace rather than the elderly or infirmed. In Konoha, the more precious were the unborn who inherited the future.

As they moved towards the monument and safety, the group grew. To ensure protection, several chunin, a squadron of ANBU, and a single jonin joined their ranks. It was a concerted effort to bring those who couldn't fight to refuge. Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon were eternally grateful for the aid. They were confident in their abilities, but umbrella missions were always the most dangerous to life and limb.

Fortunately, they weren't waylaid by any of the Pein bodies moving through the city. Any such encounter would have ensured high casualties. Unfortunately, one of the many summon creatures happened upon them. An ANBU and two chunin took responsibility for the great beast. Nobody noticed a small body slip out in the confusion as the group hurried along.

Without further incident, the group, several times larger by the point, arrived at the Hokage monument. Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon were congratulated on a job well done even as a headcount was taken as the denizens of Konoha entered the carefully constructed sanctuary.

It was the panicked pleas of Kurenai that broke up the monotony of routine. A single head was missing from the count, an academy student named Yuuhi Rikka. The jonin was trying to reassure her, but she was insistent about talking to ANBU about her charge. The genin assigned to the residential evacuation gathered in a small circle to discuss their options.

"I heard about Yuuhi-san from boss." Konohamaru started. "He said she's Hinata, dog-breath, and bug-boy's jonin sensei." He was proud to rattle off Naruto's names for his friends; though, he couldn't figure for the life of him why only Hinata had no nickname. He did remember him saying she was a 'shy, dark, weird girl' before, but he said she was one of his 'precious people' all the same.

Moegi nodded. "Didn't he also say she was a crazy scary genjutsu lady?" She, as Udon, knew the members of Team Kurenai - Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. As her teammates, she could also rattle off Naruto's nicknames for all his 'precious people' without thinking that hard. Hinata was the _only_ one he never really could come up with a nickname for.

Udon nodded in agreement. "Yuuhi Kurenai is the widow of Sarutobi Asuma, but she's pregnant with her first child." He noticed his friends concentrating on the very unusual puzzle. "Who's this Yuuhi Rikka? I've never head anything about anybody under her care... What about you, Konohamaru?"

The boy in question shook his head. "No, I haven't heard anything." He snapped his fingers in a sudden look of excitement. "Oh, I know! Our job is to escort non-ninja residents here, so why don't we volunteer to look for Rikka-san?"

Moegi's blush broadened as she excitedly exclaimed her agreement. "That's a great idea, Konohamaru-kun!" She was eager to get more experience in the field, and she _really_ wanted to see some more fights. Some of the chunin and jonin were incredible fighters, and she could learn a lot just watching them.

Udon couldn't hide the twinkle in his eyes as he wiped some snot from his nose. "All right, we can ask Yuuhi-san for a description and head out. It won't be good to burden our superiors with our assigned task." He also knew, as his teammates, that such a negative blotch on their records just wouldn't do.

As they genin squad approached the temperamental, pregnant kunoichi and backed-into-a-corner jonin, the scene quieted. The jonin, thankful and happy for the interruption, turned his attention to the three children. "Excellent job, genin. I'll be sure to report this to your jonin sensei. What's his name?"

Konohamaru tilted his head to one side. They hadn't really done anything but gather the residents. They hadn't even fought off that nasty looking summon. "Ebisu-sensei is our squad commander, sir." His tone was careful and polite.

"Oh?" The jonin thought for a moment. "I guess that makes you Konohamaru-kun..." He turned his attention to the other two. "...Moegi-kun, and Udon-kun." Deciding he was safe to escape, he turned to Kurenai. "I must return to duty. I'll inform Hokage-sama of your concerns." He was gone before she could protest.

With a growl, the genjutsu mistress tried to track his chakra, but he was long gone. She turned to the genin, somewhat disgruntled that they interrupted her. She managed a smile for them anyway. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I suppose you should be returning to your duties as well..." She bit her thumb, seriously contemplating leaving the safety of the Hokage monument to seek out an ANBU operative.

Konohamaru smiled widely. "Yuuhi-san, our duty is to escort all non-shinobi to safety in the Hokage monument. Our duty includes ensuring the safety of inactive shinobi and shinobi academy students." He brightened in hopes that the wily genjutsu artist caught his meaning.

Kurenai was at least as intelligent as he had hoped. She carefully considered his proposition. She could not assign him a special mission in a state of emergency, so he had to know his team wouldn't be paid any extra for finding her charge. Still, he was her late husband's dear nephew. She made her decision quickly when she saw a pair of civilian medics rushing towards her.

"You can call me Kurenai. My Rikka-chan..." She maintained cover by describing what the girl looked like and explaining that she was a distant relative. She noted how the genin took mental notes and kept their attention focused on her the entire time. As children their age, they interrupted with questions they thought were important. Their innocence and youth forced a smile she was fighting to cross her lips.

As they scurried away to fulfill their latest mission, Kurenai allowed the medics to lead her away. She was close enough to her expectancy date that they wanted to keep her under observation. She also noted that all pregnant women were under the same scrutiny. Too much stress was bad for the body, but it was worse for the unborn and underdeveloped.

She accepted their ministrations for what they were. They were concerned over the most important lives to the village. It wasn't just duty, though. They were truly concerned; they were desperate to protect. Without the right facilities, premature births were nearly certain to be fatal.

Looking through the crowd, Kurenai noticed something disturbing. There were no Hyuuga. Among the mighty clan, she knew there were civilians and inactive shinobi. She had expected to see a few of them there. She also understood from Hinata that there were several expectant mothers. She narrowed her eyes as a thought occurred to her. _"The explosion was over the Hyuuga estates?"

* * *

_

Madara glared blankly at the silhouette of his servant. The technique was similar to the one used when Akatsuki members communicated over long distances. Unlike _Gentoushin_, it was absolutely secure and chakra could not be transmitted. Before his Tobi persona was a member of the central figures of Akatsuki, he would 'intercept' and listen in on business transmitted through the link.

Of course, he also knew when and where to look for the link. _Gentoushin_'s main weakness was that it could be intercepted, but it was necessary to share chakra for _Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin_. He smirked under his mask. Yes, _Gentoushin_ could be intercepted, but one still had to know when and where to look.

As he monitored the connection, Madara noted his servant's growing unease. He knew impatience couldn't possibly be the problem. Finally, the immortal Uchiha addressed the silhouette. "I trust you've accomplished _all_ tasks set before you?" He wanted to ensure the remainders of Yumiko's children were dead in addition to a swift end to the negotiations between Konoha and Kumo.

The silhouette shifted uncomfortably. "Security heightened around Yumiko's children after the first attempt. One has been adopted by the Konoha's mistress of genjutsu, Yuuhi Kurenai. The other is imprisoned in ANBU headquarters. With the increase in ANBU patrols within their vicinities, that task remained incomplete."

Madara sighed. "The lengthy explanation wasn't necessary." He already felt a headache coming on. "Oh well, not all servants are as worthwhile." He paused to form an ice-cold glare. "At least tell me the _other_ task has been completed!" His voice was stern and request was easily seen for the order it was.

The silhouette nodded. "The Hitohana of the Juunihana no Kumo perished. I ensured his eyes saw a servant of the leaf." The servant obviously understood the 'memory seed' that the Raikage would see after his current Hitohana's death.

Madara's visible eye danced in delight. "You eliminated Hitohana. That clears another condition." He nodded. The biggest obstacles weren't the villages themselves. The elite warriors were the real hurdles. Each Kage was certainly a threat, but the elites that surround them were trouble.

He recounted each. Fire's elite warriors were mostly dealt with. Only the slug sannin remained, and she held the dual responsibility of Hokage. Most of Water's elite warriors were dead, missing, or rogue. Wind relied on its jinchuuriki, but the Kazekage was trying to revive the ancient traditions of a particular group of warriors. Earth only lost a couple of its elite in its failure to defend its jinchuuriki. Lightning was dealt a fierce blow with the loss of its most powerful elite warrior…even if he had a replacement candidate.

"Madara-sama, your servant requests some information." The man hidden by a silhouette waited a moment as the cold eye sent him a fierce glower. When the orange swirled mask finally bobbed with his head in response, the servant continued. "I hope your minion is called off before I have no village to rule over. I will be freed from my condition once this is over?"

Madara forced back a maniacal laugh. He didn't want to give the wrong impression. "Oh, I'll fulfill my end of the bargain as long as you fulfill yours." He paused as he put a finger to the chin of his mask and looked thoughtfully to the sky. "However, I need a replacement if I lose you. Tell me, have you made appropriate arrangements?"

The silhouette nodded. "I have. I applied the 'war hawk' to my most prized pupil. My position has been most helpful. Even now, I can avoid pesky eavesdroppers." He sounded pleased with himself.

Madara narrowed his visible eye dangerously. "You say your 'prized pupil'?" The silhouette nodded. "Where is the fourth war hawk, then?" He didn't like the idea of not knowing who exactly his tools were, and he appreciated less not knowing where they were.

"He's outside the village." The servant answered swiftly. Then more calmly, he continued. "Tsunade feels Oto is a priority and foolishly chases any information she gathers on her former teammate's whereabouts. Well, since he's dead, I suppose she foolishly chases what remains of him."

Madara was about to say something, but the response caught in his throat. He looked, wide-eyed, at what he was certain was his victory over the Hyuuga. His expression turned to one of curiosity as he tried to figure out the strange occurrence. The dust was finally settling or being blown away, but it was settling oddly.

He shook it off and returned to his servant. "Does anybody suspect your ambitions or goals? I'm sure wishing to be Hokage would have many see you as a possible mutineer." He wasn't really concerned, but he'd learn a lot from the response.

The silhouette actually chuckled. "Oh, they've known my displeasure at never being nominated to rule as Hokage for a long time. They think me inept now, and that suits me just fine. The fools don't think I can pull off a coup."

Under his mask, Madara's lips twisted into a cruel smirk. "Ah, a coup de tat certainly brings back memories." With a bit of inspiration, he delivered a cryptic message. "Don't forget, sometimes interference comes from the most unexpected of places." With that, he ended the communication technique.

He returned his gaze to Konoha. He wasn't concerned for the Hyuuga estates. Nothing could survive _Shinra Tensei _at its most massive. Tendou wouldn't be able to use his technique for five minutes, give or take, but the Pein Rikudou weren't interested in pure destruction at the moment.

His Sharingan responded as he watched the six bodies move through the village. They were gathering information. Any death and destruction caused on their course was by coincidence and skirmish. Chikushoudou continiously summoned creatures to keep the shinobi on their toes and in tumultuous disarray.

It was a wonderful sight to behold.

* * *

Gai practically plowed through Tsunade's door and was quickly followed by Lee, Neji, and Tenten in order. ANBU still present to protect her stared at them incredulously, but they ignored the glowers they were receiving in order to ascertain the situation. "Hokage-sama, pardon our un-youthful interruption!" Gai started. "We saw the massive explosion and are ready to receive orders."

Tsunade sighed. She had expected as much, really. Gai was impetuous and was liable run off and do his own thing. Still, he was useful…in his own way. "I need you and your team out in the field. Akatsuki is attempting an invasion, and we _won't_ let them through!"

Gai saluted and overzealously yelled. "Yosh!" He pumped a fist in the air as fire danced in his eyes. "We will show our youthful exuberance on the field of battle and expel the would be invaders!" He started rushing out the door but jogged in place as Neji and Tenten blocked the door. "What do you want my youthful students?"

Neji narrowed his eyes and gazed right at Tsunade. "Pardon my rudeness Hokage-sama, but what news do you have on my home?" He was desperate for information, _any_ information. His Byakugan still couldn't see through the dust and chakra left over from the attack. It was…unsettling.

Tsunade sighed and was about to answer before a lazy drawl spoke. "It's bad, real troublesome." Everybody looked to Shikamaru as he entered the room rubbing the back of his head. "I left Chouji and Ino to clean up what mess they could. There are a lot of casualties, but most of it seems caused by debris blown up by the attack."

Neji looked down fighting apparent rage. He seethed with it. His eyes and fists clenched, he made a request through gritted teeth. "Team Gai formally asks permission to investigate the disaster area."

"Denied." Tsunade coolly answered.

"Why…?!" Neji and Tenten cried out.

Tsunade held up her hand as Neji was about to continue. "You're hardly in any condition to help out at ground zero. Instead, I need you patrolling the streets. If you encounter any enemies, kill them. If you see an opening, permission to capture is granted." She looked Neji in the eye, nerves steeled. "If our information is right, the attacker is Pein and his bodies. Knocking off or capturing the leader of Akatsuki is too big an opportunity to waste."

She watched them for several apprehensive moments. Gai knew her orders were absolute and didn't bother aiding either side of the debate. Lee was torn between defending his friend's position and acknowledging Tsuande's own. Tenten nervously awaited Neji's response.

After a moment, he regained his composure. "Of course Hokage-sama, rage is best used on the battlefield. In my current state, I would be of little use rescuing survivors. I apologize for my behavior." He swiftly bowed before turning and leaving. If he couldn't help his family, he was just going to avenge them that much quicker.

Tenten followed swiftly after; though, she gave a polite farewell bow to their esteemed leader. Lee nearly jumped as his excitement and anxiety bubbled over. He barely got a farewell out before rushing after his teammates.

Gai approached Tsunade. "Neji's eyes would be a great asset in the rescue effort. Are you sure about this?" He gave Shikamaru a passing glance. He could guess why the tactical genius was standing nearby.

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm not sure of anything at the moment." She bit her thumb nervously. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. Usually the enemy attacks from one of the gates, and _nobody_ has ever summoned _themselves_ into the village." She looked Gai squarely in the eyes. "He _knew_ about our observational barrier, and he immediately disrupted our ability to read his movements."

Gai nodded his understanding before suddenly turning his attention to the window beside the esteemed leader. "Oh, my eternal rival has shown up at just the right moment! You burn with coolness and hipness!"

Kakashi wasn't in the mood for Gai's antics, so he ignored him and addressed Tsunade. Almost like standard operating procedure in a serious situation, his little book was nowhere to be found. "Sakura asked me to tell you all medics, shinobi and non alike, have finished preparations. The civilian medics are already at the Hokage monument."

Gai gritted his teeth as fire filled his eyes. _"That is so like Kakashi, my eternal rival! He is so suave and cool that he ignores me and continues as if I'm not even here. Well played my eternal rival, well played."_ Ending his internal monologue, he saluted their leader. "I must be off to assist my youthful students!" He kicked up a cloud of dust as he ran down the corridors to join his squad.

Kakashi sighed. "Anyway, everything's running smoothly at the hospital and Hokage monument." He looked to the emergency scroll Fukusaku left behind. "Are you going to call Naruto to join us?" He was eager to see how his sensei's son had progressed, but he was afraid of interrupting the very valuable training.

Tsunade contorted her face into a look of extreme thought. It was a difficult subject to broach. They sent Naruto away not only to train but keep him out of Akatsuki hands. If he was stronger, he most _certainly_ could help repel the invasion. If he had perfected senjutsu, he was a super weapon even _without _Kyuubi no Kitsune.

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm not going to order Naruto to be recalled. I'll send a messenger, yes, but to determine his readiness, nothing more." The last part was added before the Copy Nin could get a word in edgewise. She knew he cared for the hyperactive knucklehead, and she deeply appreciated that fact.

His visible eye upturned as he smiled. He understood her reasoning and wasn't going to argue. He was also concerned about interrupting his very valuable training. He was one of the few to see senjutsu, and he knew Naruto would benefit from it. He turned and prepared to join the fray below in the streets.

"Kakashi…" He turned to face Tsunade. "Naruto's lost too much already." Her eyes pleaded with him, and he understood her meaning. He nodded, saying nothing, and disappeared in a burst of smoke and leaves. She turned weary eyes to her unofficial tactical officer. "Shikamaru, I need a game plan."

He rolled his eyes. "Troublesome." His peace said; he sat nearby and concentrated. As he brought his hands together into a circle, he thought on everything he had seen and heard throughout the day. The enemy was strong, and he was confident beyond belief. However, his attack had shattered one of the village's cornerstones of resolve. Without the Uchiha, the Hyuuga were the backbone of the village.

It was daring, but it was cunning. The morale of the village took a sharp downward dive. Rumors were already rampant, and such things were deadly in a crisis. The shinobi did their best to trudge through the mess, but even they would grow weary from the incessant pessimism from the non-shinobi populace.

Pein's blow wasn't just physical; it was psychological. It was the metaphysical blow that probably hurt the worst. As Pein attacks, Konoha has to divide forces to three fronts. They need to evacuate non-shinobi. They need to perform a search and rescue. They have to repel invaders.

It was all so troublesome.

* * *

Chouji and Ino moved as quickly as they could through the rubble. Through their efforts, most of the debris between where they started and the Hyuuga estates was cleared away. The non-shinobi were immediately evacuated thanks to nearby genin squadrons. Those shinobi not too injured were conscripted to the search and rescue.

The Inuzuka and Aburame clans volunteered a couple of teams to help search the rubble for survivors. The search and rescue was greatly aided by their assistance, and a new pace was set. Chouji helped further by using his family techniques to enhance his size and strength.

They were surprised to find as few casualties as they had. Almost all injuries were caused by debris thrown up by the initial technique. Shikamaru had noted as much when they first started, but he had to hurry off to the Hokage's summons. They had secretly expected the situation to change as they moved deeper.

Instead, all deaths were caused by rubble crushing them to death or asphyxiation. They still had no clues to determine the technique used, and they were close to the Hyuuga estates. The area was still heavily shrouded in dust, and the chakra in the air made it hard to sense anything, creating another benefit to the tracking-specialized clans.

The Inuzuka had better olfactory and auditory sensory awareness than even the best shinobi. The shifting and sifting of rubble didn't damage their ability to distinguish sounds, and the dust didn't cloud their ability to sniff out any body...living _or_ dead. The dogs they employed as partners were no slouches, either.

The Aburame were calm and calculating. It was difficult to raise swarms of insects because they responded easily to the emotions of their host. Through their logic, they hatched efficient plans to excavate survivors. Through their insects, they found and tagged what dogs and shinobi missed. They had a certain synergy.

As they neared the Hyuuga estates however, the dogs and insects, oddly, became less effective. The dogs moaned and whined, more eager to engage the perimeter than continue forward. The insects chattered and jittered more nervously as they approached the threshold.

They couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like the dust cloud hung in a hemisphere over and around the massive complex. Feeling a tremor of nervousness, the group unanimously decided to continue around the perimeter. Their numbers were large enough that doing such was easy enough to accomplish.

In surrounding the perimeter, they linked up with other teams who had come to help and come to the same conclusion. There was definitely something odd handing in the air, and nobody seemed to fully understand what it was. They only knew something settled into the pit of their stomachs and made them churn and ache.

Eventually, they had to approach the Hyuuga estate. It was the obvious epicenter of rubble and debris. Buildings fell outward from the force of the attack, centered above the powerful clan's homes. Expecting the worse with no real hope, they approached the once proud walls that protected her perimeter.

Chouji and Ino approached the main gate followed by a single clan member from each the Inuzuka and Aburame. The Inuzuka's canine partner yowled a final warning, and the Aburame's insects buzzed anxiously. It was disconcerting for all those involved.

Then they saw something nobody was expecting. The dust swirled and distorted at the portal. They weren't close enough for the strange dust cloud to react to their presence. It was fading away to something else. The wind picked up and finally started carrying off the last remnants of the ominous cloud.

They saw figures take shape and heard bouts of couching. The figures looked vaguely human. One was broader just below the shoulders, and one walked on all fours. Did one have two heads? The four waiting outside the Hyuuga main gate took a step back and prepared for a possible confrontation. Could the enemy have used the attack to mask a second raiding party?

In surprise, Chouji and Ino were finally able to recognize the approaching figures. They rushed forward to immediately start checking them over for injuries. The Inuzuka and Aburame also moved in. They were interested in the safety of the survivors as well. Shortly behind them, more and more figures started emerging from behind the high walls which protected the Hyuuga from the prying eyes of the village.

Hinata was at the lead. She was carrying an unconscious, red-haired girl piggyback style. Her fragile arms hung limply over the Hyuuga heiress' shoulders. They were covered in soot but appeared otherwise fine.

Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru emerged not carrying anybody. They were, however, ready for an attack. When they saw the rescue party, Kiba smirked, and Shino pushed his glasses up. Akamaru yipped happily.

ANBU Hawk carried an unconscious daimyo priestess, ironically enough, in princess style, also known as bridal style. She looked around and immediately understood the situation. The shinobi in the area were conducting a search and rescue without any non-shinobi personnel.

Hawk gently laid Shion down. "Hinata-sama, I must report to Hokage-sama for further orders. The area has been secured. Please ensure a nearby genin squadron escorts all non-shinobi to assigned shelters. In this state of emergency, you may remove yourself from the inactive list and join or allow genin to escort you to safety."

Inwardly, she hoped the heiress would choose the latter as she disappeared into wind and leaves. She was on her way to see Tsunade, and she couldn't stick around. The rest understood. The ANBU were the personal bodyguard to the Kage they served. They were the Hokage's army to move as she saw fit.

Ino turned a disbelieving, if happy, glare to Hinata. "How did you survive that?!" She wasn't mad. In fact, she was happy, overjoyed even. She fought back tears as she resisted the urge to run up to the girl and embrace her. She didn't want Momiji to be dropped, after all.

Hinata released a heavy sigh. "Not right now. We have to find a genin squad and get whatever civilians are in the area evacuated, first." She gently set Momiji near Shion's form. Activating her Byakugan, she looked around for her target. Her vision was fuzzy through the heavy haze of chakra.

Ino gave in, but she was certain to get an answer once their main objective was complete. They decided to split up to search. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba and Akamaru stayed behind to defend Shion and Momiji. Most of the Hyuuga shinobi were ordered to join the defense of the village. The Hyuuga that remained surrounded their heiress defensively.

Chouji and Ino shortly returned with a squad of genin each in tow. Once enough squads were gathered, the Hyuuga non-shinobi were escorted to the Hokage monument. Hinata gathered up Momiji again while Shino and Kiba placed Shion on Akamaru's back. They were personally escorting the visiting dignitaries to safety.

Ino insisted on hearing how they survived, and Hinata obliged. On the way to the Hokage monument, the shy heiress explained the bewilderment she and her teammates still felt. It wasn't something Chouji or Ino could easily grasp either, but it was certainly worth a headache to know how their friends survived.

* * *

They were laughing and joking. Their spirits were high, and they had a small, red-haired girl and her new friend, a canine, to keep them entertained. They were certain they could break her from her shell. She was surrounded by friends, and Naruto's group was guaranteed to just love her.

Of course, it went without saying that arguments happened. Kiba and Shino were key examples. They were the best of friends, but they didn't agree on every point. They often argued semantics friendly insults. Perhaps it was wrong, but Hinata and Shion were instigating. At least they had a few laughs along the way.

Momiji was talking to Akamaru as they played a childish game. The large, white dog played along to appease the entertaining girl. His large tongue hung to one side as he panted to relieve his body of excess heat even as he lifted one paw to gently pat a hand the girl held out. He yipped excitedly as she giggled and continued their game.

Her conversation was hard to follow. As most children her age, she spoke quickly and sloppily. If she messed up or tripped over a word, she would continue without catching her mistake. The large dog seemed to follow along just fine, but it was difficult to tell if he was being honest or simply kind. Supposedly he was capable of using human speech, not just understanding it.

It was in the middle of a 'move' in their game that Momiji suddenly stopped. Akamaru, confused, tilted his head to one side and whined. Then, he followed her gaze skyward. In alarm, he stood and started barking and growling. There was an unnatural accumulation of chakra pushing and swirling the clouds.

As his human master looked up, he yipped and yowled what he was starting to sense. Kiba's eyes went wide as a physical distortion manifested. The midmorning sun was replaced as the brightest star in the sky, but it wasn't a star illuminating the skies above the Hyuuga estates.

Hinata and Shion stood slowly and purposely. Shino was already on his feet. His insects writhed around him in a visible cloud as they clicked and buzzed their irritation. Kiba managed to stammer to his feet. They could _feel_ the chakra pushing against them, oppressing them. The reason was obvious.

_They_ were in the middle of the targeted area!

The Hyuuga estates were being targeted by an enemy attack, and the open courtyard they occupied was near the center. In a moment of panicked dread, the teens shared a common thought. _"We should have gone to the park today..."_ It was a selfish thought quickly dismissed.

They couldn't waste any time. They had to find as many people as they could and evacuate them. Shino and Kiba knew the Hyuuga. They would insist that the heiress be evacuated. They looked to each other and nodded. It was the only plan they had, and they had to act fast.

"Hinata, take Shion and Momiji and get out of here!" Kiba frantically called as he rushed towards his partner.

She was about to protest when Shino interrupted. "You must leave first. Why? The Hyuuga will refuse to leave if you are in danger."

She was about to protest again when Shion rested a friendly hand on her shoulder. Kiba was already escorting the scared child to them. "Your friends are right. I hate to admit it, but my personal guards are the same way. Mizukura and his men would never abandon the palace until they _knew_ I was safely evacuated."

Hinata hated to admit it, but Shion was right. She was responsible for her clan while her father was representing Konoha to her interests abroad. She had to ensure the power structure remained intact, so she shored up her resolve and watched Shion scoop Momiji up protectively.

They hardly took one step before it happened. The swell of power just...stopped. The oppressive aura increased several fold, and a feeling of dread settled into their marrow. The power imploded, and, in a single majestic sweep, expelled all the accumulated power.

The shinobi looked up in horror. The non-shinobi passed out as the pressure all but stopped even involuntary muscle movement. Momiji let out a single cry as Shion dropped, unable to stand up to the immensity of the chakra. In a single moment, time seemed to stand still.

Hinata, Shino, and Kiba and Akamaru looked at Momiji. They shared a common thought. _"How is she still conscious?"_ The involuntary seizing is a defensive mechanism. A non-shinobi isn't trained in handling chakra, so non-threats are always passed out in areas where large amount of chakra are being used. The oppressive aura was a mixture of killing intent and chakra, and greater amounts affected larger areas.

The three had to admit that rarely was such an expenditure of chakra as huge as they were experiencing. Usually the defense mechanism was enough that extraordinarily powerful shinobi could distinguish threats from nonentities.

Momiji's cry, however, was nothing over the howl of the foreign technique. The teens and canine looked up as the attack approached in slow motion. Their ninja training kicked in, but their minds knew they couldn't escape. It was approaching too fast, and their heightened state of awareness was all they could do to understand it.

In desperation, they covered Shion and Momiji, and they pooled their chakra. If they were going to die, the least they could do is try and ensure the safety of a visiting dignitary and her child. Hinata felt a final wish flow freely through her thoughts. _"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I hope Shion and Momo-chan can make you happy..."_

Then, they felt it. The implosion and subsequent explosion and oppressive aura had masked it. They didn't know how to identify it. It was both foreign and nostalgic. They were reminded of a friend with sun-kissed blond hair. His azure eyes passed before their eyes, but they were surrounded by..._visible_ chakra!

They looked to Momiji and realized she was crying. She was murmuring something too low to understand. Her sobs and convulsions made it impossible to read her lips. As the chakra from the outer fringe of the technique pressed against them, they realized the chakra from the red-haired girl was kicking up a storm at ground level.

Their heightened senses took in everything in slow motion. They felt the emotions the chakra was emitting as intimately as if they were their own. They saw flecks of red and blue, but it was mixing and blending to form purple... They were confused when they noted gold and silver.

Momiji's cries became shrill, and her chakra jolted skyward as piercing as her voice. They continued to cover the dignitary and her adopted child even as powerful chakra rushed outward and upward in a strange display from an innocent child. The felt deeply the fear of loss. They breathed in deeply the desire to protect. The negative of fear was overpowered by the desire to protect.

Time returned to normal as they watched the interaction in the sky. The swirl of chakra from Momiji seemed to solidify and encase the Hyuuga estates. The wash of chakra from the foreign technique draped over it like a prism of power. The multifaceted colors shook them to their core.

Who was capable of the show of power they just witnessed? As they turned back to Momiji, even Shino couldn't stop a gasp of shock. His was just shorter as he regained his composure.

She was covered in a cloak of chakra. It couldn't decide what color it was. It shifted between red and blue. Sometimes it mixed and blended showing a deep violet. They could have sworn to anybody they saw flashes of gold or silver. It wasn't the color of the cloak that was most surprising. It wasn't even the shape.

The horn-like protrusions of hair they thought were just cowlicks extended and blackened. They perfectly matched the long, curved horns adorning the head of the chakra clock. Chakra hung down from her arms forming the sinuous muscles of powerful legs. The hump at her shoulders furthered the illusion.

The powerful muscles portrayed through the cloak made her look like a powerful bull brimming with chakra. His tails whipped out behind him.

_Eight_ long, thin strands of chakra puffed out at the end exactly like the tails bulls have.

They knew and accepted that a creature was sealed within the young girl, but they never imagined it was one of the legendary bijuu. They were unaware of the bijuu from other countries, but they were aware of the existence of others. They knew there were nine in total, and they were extremely powerful. The bijuu were like pure existences of chakra.

It died down before Hinata could activate her Byakugan. The teens continued to stare dumbfounded even as Akamaru yipped and insects buzzed. The air was thick with dust that swept in from without the Hyuuga estates. It was inundated by chakra from the massive clash of techniques.

When they next looked at Momiji, she was sleeping peacefully. Her horn-like cowlicks were still dark and elongated, but they were receding and lightening to their normal appearance. It was obvious without any special senses that she was exhausted, but she was safer than a moment ago.

They breathed a sigh of relief as they noticed Hyuuga approaching. Among them, Hawk appeared and ran towards the heiress. The ANBU captain looked around to ensure everybody's safety. "Pardon my tardiness Hinata-sama. I was unfortunately distracted by unconscious bodies when I felt the oppressive chakra. I should have been here; I have no excuse."

Hinata shook her head. "No, you can't be everywhere." She carefully leaned down and draped Momiji over her shoulders. She looked like she was carrying her daughter or younger sister piggyback style while the younger was unconscious. "Could you carry Shion for me, Hawk? We have to evacuate."

Hawk felt her lips twitch as she repressed as smirk. The heiress was showing her leadership capabilities by taking control of the situation. Hawk didn't hesitate. She picked the daimyo priestess up easily. She was too heavy to carry piggyback while unconscious, so she opted for bridal or princess style. "Let's go, Hinata-sama."

Hinata nodded and activated her Byakugan. Her vision was blurry, but it was enough to see her way through the estates to the exit. "I'm sure Hokage-sama has initiated a state of emergency. We have to leave the premises now..._before_ it comes under attack again." She didn't need to ask twice. Everybody moved to follow her and her teammates.

* * *

Madara stared out over the expanse between him and Konoha. His visible eye was wide, and rage boiled deep in his soul. The dust and chakra kicked up by _Shinra Tensei_ had cleared enough for him to see the fate of the Hyuuga. He could clearly see the tallest of Hyuuga residence still standing proudly.

Pein Rikudou had failed to deliver a fatal blow to Konoha! His lips twitched in anger. He knew why Nagato attacked the Hyuuga estates. It wasn't out of vanity. He wanted Konoha to feel pain, and the most effective way to deliver his message was to tear out the cornerstones on which the village rests.

He turned his eye back to the bodies of Pein running through the streets. There were small skirmishes wherever they visited, and the dead and injured were piling up. Nagato never killed without reason. He wanted to cause the most pain possible. His main target was Naruto, but he wanted revenge against the leaf.

As his thoughts passed through his mind, Madara calmed greatly. One failed plan wasn't the end of the world. Jiraiya's death had made them step up their plans to find the Hachibi and Kyuubi. Sasuke failed to find the Hachibi, but that was only a small setback. With the Kyuubi in hand, they could step up operations to full scale.

He felt a smile spread across his lips. It was only a matter of time, and time was commodity he had plenty of. The Hyuuga would be dead and buried in time, just like the Uzumaki. The Senju were on their last legs, and there was only one Uchiha descendant of his traitorous brethren left.

Konoha would fall in due time. "Yes, time is something I have plenty of." He nodded. Pein could well finish the job before the dusk. With the capture of the bijuu, Madara could finally see himself as a god. Nobody would _ever_ defy him again!

* * *

They were almost home clear. The Hokage monument was in plain sight and growing closer. Hinata's full range of sight was restored, and they were avoiding skirmishes as necessary. There was no point looking for trouble. Even Kiba agreed, and he was eager to kick some invaders out.

Shion and Momiji were still unconscious, but they weren't surprised. They had probably never felt anything quite that oppressive. They still were reeling over the red-haired girl's ability. She had constructed a solid barrier with her tenant's chakra. The bijuu hadn't even tried to take over her body.

The fact they acknowledge such docile behavior from a supposedly evil demon brought several questions to mind. Was it just self-preservation, or was the bijuu interested in fulfilling a desire to protect? The latter made more sense with the size of the barrier, but the former fit centuries old tales. It was a conundrum they didn't have time to wrap their heads around.

The street exploded in front of them, and they were forced to stop. They looked in the direction the attack came from and noticed a disturbing body. Hinata gasped at the sight. As the silent, grinning Shuradou jumped down to street level, everybody but Hinata assumed battle stances. She couldn't while holding Momiji, but she was still recovering from his appearance.

Shuradou was disturbing to normal vision, but he was absolutely appalling to Hinata's Byakugan. His body didn't seem alive. His coils looked sickly, like they'd collapsed long ago. His cells didn't seem to regenerate chakra, but she could see faint trails of chakra flowing in and out around his piercings. Worst of all, a sick, sludge-like aura surrounded him.

The sludge-like aura pushed back at the very life in his immediate vicinity. The very dirt seemed to tremble in fear under his feet. Flowers wilted or turned away. Weeds retreated. The sound of animals disappeared at the rise of battle, but she could see mice leaving their burrows just to escape his vile presence. It was...unnatural. She had no other word to describe his presence, his chakra, or his being.

He was vile. He was disgusting. She wished and hoped no other Hyuuga could see him as she did. She hoped the strange colors that had first appeared when _Yakedo_ first took her consciousness were unique to her. Otherwise, any Hyuuga who saw a being like Shuradou would balk in terror.

His eyes rested on Hinata for a moment before firing a high-intensity blast at her. It was so sudden that nobody noticed his exact movements, but Hinata was a trained shinobi. She was out of the way before her mind processed the information. She couldn't fight back with a child on her back, but she wasn't without recourse if attacked.

She sighed in relief as her friends assaulted the brute. Kiba already looked bestial, and Akamaru already looked exactly like his partner. Shino was sending out waves of insects to intercept and drain the walking corpse. Ino backed away to let her allies fight and heal them when necessary. Chouji coordinated his powerful strikes with the waxing and waning of battle.

They were all experienced with fighting along side each other. Hinata wasn't about to be left out. She used her Byakugan to search for any weaknesses and shout out to anybody who might not be expecting to dodge.

The battle was far from easy. Shuradou's smile was creepy enough, but his body was altered in even creepier ways. He easily shot his forearms as missiles, and they reattached quickly even as he shrugged off attacks. His body was well toned, but he was sluggish compared to the agile teens.

As the fight continued, the shinobi realized something important. The man they were fighting seemed more like a distraction. He could take hits and keep on coming, but he didn't seem capable of much more. His attacks were powerful, but they were predictable and easy to dodge.

Hinata concentrated her vision, but she saw no other unnatural warriors nearby. Her gut twisted as she came to a decision. It would leave any plan of attack damaged, but it was the only course she had. "Chouji, Ino, you're with me! We need to get Shion and Momiji out of here!"

* * *

As I write my full-on assault, it looks like the canon is slowing down. I hope people see the differences. I'm writing the invasion because I see the reasons for Madara and Pein moving their plan into motion. Though my story is divergent from canon (big duh?), cause and effect are still active. I'm also hoping people recognize the Pein Rikudou names I'm using as I really would hate to try to describe them, and the romanized names aren't quite as interesting. I mean, Tendou and Diva Realm? Well anyway, enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,026  
Story Page Count: 17.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Gentoushin_ - _Lit Apparition Technique_: Akatsuki has used this to communicate over vast distances and includes chakra sharing.

_Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin - Complete Nine Mystical Dragon Seal_: Akatsuki uses this to seal bijuu.


	24. Chapter 22: Dangerous Waltz

TimeShifter: Remember, Sasuke still went after Kira Bii thinking he was the Hachibi jinchuuriki. Obviously, I have something _else_ up my sleeves! Admittedly, I didn't like Kira Bii or 'tentacle tails' all that much to begin with, and, yes, I realize it's a legitimate demon. Madara isn't the first war hawk; I already gave a name to him: Yumiko's third legitimate child, Ahito. Sai is a massive plot hole, and something about him just irks me. I'm also trying to drive this story into the 'no way Kishimoto will do this' territory while legitimizing it with cannon material.

samueltm2: Momiji's cute isn't she?

* * *

**Chapter 22:  
Dangerous Waltz  
**

Three shadows rushed through the trees at top speed. Flashes of light revealed the three figures to be female of red, black, and orange hair respectively. The lead wore no hitai-ate while latter two proudly bore the symbol of the leaf. Kanaeru, Isaribi, and Sasame were in a rush to get somewhere. Unseen, Gayt and Star traveled behind them.

"Tch, we're still too far away!" Kanaeru grumbled. She had felt the incredible build up of power and release. It had shaken her to her core. Immediately after, she had taken off at the fastest speed she knew the other girls were capable of. They had barely responded in time to catch up, but it was little consolation.

"Just what's going on?!" Sasame cried from the back. Her chakra sense was good, but they were at least an hour's travel from Konoha at 'cruising' speed. At the speed they were traveling, they would be exhausted but would arrive in a quarter the time. She knew what direction they were traveling, but she hadn't sensed anything and likely wouldn't until they were just outside the village's gates.

"We can't keep this pace up, and we've lost track of your armored servant." Isaribi wasn't sure what was going on, but she trusted the foreign kunoichi's instincts. She had seen for herself the incredible chakra sense she possessed. It seemed unreal, however, to believe she could sense what was going on in Konoha from the distance they were separated by.

"Listen, we're going into a battle zone." Kanaeru started and paused at the surprised gasps. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but I sensed a huge wellspring of chakra, and it felt like…" She paused to place the exact words. "…it crashed into Konoha with intense killer intent." Okay, she couldn't find quite the right words.

Isaribi and Sasame were stunned to silence. They both knew about the joint Oto-Suna invasion attempt, but they still found it hard to believe that another force was trying to shake the foundation of one of the five, great ninja villages. While Sasame didn't know who to suspect, Isaribi already had her suspicions.

The rest of the trip was traveled in silence. They concentrated on their chakra and speed. They all realized they'd need soldier pills upon arriving. Otherwise, they would be too exhausted to join the battle. In the silence, they contemplated their responsibilities.

Sasame was a medic, and her secret Fuuma clan techniques could save many lives. Isaribi was a spy, but she had powerful Suiton techniques to aid the shinobi of the leaf. Kanaeru held no loyalty to the village, but she wasn't about to abandon her nephew's beloved people. She could rely on Gayt and Star to throw a wrench in the invader's plans.

Unfortunately, they realized they were more prepared than the defenders themselves. The battle had to be tough, and it was likely a surprise attack. Even Sasame managed to find an extra bit of speed, and Kanaeru and Isaribi kept her pace. They had to help however they could!

* * *

Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon made their way through the war-torn streets as quickly and stealthily as they could. As mere genin, their chakra melted into the background noise of the powerful struggle between Pein Rikudou and Konoha's chunin and jonin. As much as they hated the realization, they were like gnats flying around pair of fighting lions.

They didn't mind as much that they were being ignored. They had a mission, and ninja always put the mission first. It wasn't their place to seek personal glory even if they felt they could be of assistance. Instead, they were retracing their steps to the apartment complex Kurenai lived in with Rikka.

Arriving at the complex, they hadn't located the missing student. They had, unfortunately, found a battle between an oddly pierced man and a squad of chunin. They watched in mild awe as the brave shinobi took on Ningendou. The awe turned to horror as the powerful body practically buried two of the chunin in quick order. They were already running when Ningendou took hold of the remaining chunin by the neck and interrogated him.

They came to realize something else. Pein Rikudou were interested in Naruto more than the battle. The body they saw was crazy powerful enough without including the other five somewhere in the village. They didn't understand the short battle they witnessed. They didn't understand the power of Pein Rikudou. Yet another realization struck them.

They were really in a battle between life and death. Those chunin had died so easily. They, genin, were no match for such monsters.

Though afraid, they continued their duty. Oddly, each of them felt an overwhelming desire to fight for the village in spite of their fear. They steeled their resolve and continued on. They had a mission to accomplish, and Kurenai, a jonin, was counting on them!

Despite thinking their small chakra reserves would go unnoticed; the eyes of Jigokudou carefully watched them. He was hidden, keeping out of sight. He watched them for a moment with a cool gaze before seeming to sink into the shadows. Nagato wasn't interested in children or civilians, but he was willing to explore any option to get information on his quarry.

* * *

Tsunade turned to Shikamaru after reviewing the latest information. She relayed her thoughts to him, so his analysis could be more thorough. "So far ANBU has been able to confirm three of the six enemies." She paused as he opened his eyes to glare curiously at her. "The first to appear is a summoner of some sort. She seems to be a tamer of any number of beasts, and she can summon people." That body alone was worrisome.

"One has unknown abilities that seem to…drain the life force out of his target." The reports on the second one were sketchy at best. Nobody who came into direct contact with him had survived. He had killed the most, and unconfirmed reports indicated he was interrogating whoever he killed by draining their life from them.

"The last confirmed enemy is a real beast. He seems to be able to stop any attack thrown at him…as if absorbing them. While ninjutsu and genjutsu are ineffective, taijutsu only seems to drain the attacker." From her reports, he seemed to be a distraction. He would intercept a squad and fight them long enough for the life-drainer to show up.

Shikamaru sighed. He summed up everybody's thoughts with one word so well. "Troublesome." The six enemies had abilities nobody dared dream of, and they only knew what _half_ of them were capable of. No, Jiraiya had provided some information through Fukusaku. Sadly, it wasn't much to go on.

He scratched the back of his head before returning to the posture he used to think. "There's little doubt this is the 'Pein' Jiraiya-sama reported." His eyes were closed, so he didn't see the esteemed leader nod. "We can assume that one or more of them are capable of 'reviving' any bodies that happen to fall."

He paused as he leaned his head back and lightly tapped it against the wall. "Tch, it's troublesome, but maybe we should recall Naruto." It was almost hard to believe, but the class clown and resident idiot of the academy had become their secret weapon and likely last resort and final line of defense. The charisma the blond bottle of energy had astounded and confounded him to no end.

Tsunade nodded solemnly. She wondered how far along the indomitable brat had gotten with senjutsu. She would prefer to give him all the time Fukusaku wanted, but they all knew Akatsuki was a threat ready to pounce. Though getting stronger was a side benefit, it wasn't the main reason they sent Naruto away.

They were protecting and hiding him from Akatsuki. Few knew why he was gone and fewer still knew where he had gone to. The information was confidential, and she trusted her shinobi to keep that kind of information secretly locked away.

Reaching her decision, she pulled out a pair of scrolls and called on the toad Fukusaku left for her to make contact. By the time the small amphibian appeared, she finished writing the message. She handed him the scroll before addressing him. "How's the training coming?"

A smirk that could only be described as toad like spread across his face. "No need to worry about that tadpole. He's in good hands with Fukusaku-sama. Sadly, I haven't been able to witness his progress. I've only heard rumors, and they tend to be flattering."

Tsunade fought a proud smirk from crossing her features. The situation was dire, making it impossible to express such gratitude. "Thanks. Please hurry." She watched, wary of the situation surrounding them, as the toad packed up the scroll and disappeared in a billow of chakra smoke. She breathed a sigh of relief as she turned to Shikamaru.

He stood up without awaiting her command. He thought it was too troublesome, so he stuck his hands in his pocket and waited for her to lead the way. His expression looked as half-lidded as ever, but he projected an aura of serious determination. He was ready to fight, and he probably already had a plan.

As they left, Danzo stepped out from the shadows and dropped two, bloodied ANBU masks. He looked to the door that closed behind Konoha's Fifth and her new favorite tactician. "Humph, relying on a mere child. The folly of these peace-loving Hokage will be the ruin of Konoha."

His attention turned to the desk where the toad summons disappeared to deliver a message to Fukusaku and Naruto. "The Third was too soft. He should have turned the Kyuubi into a weapon for Konoha to crush our enemies." He looked through the window. "I couldn't stop the messenger, but it's of little consequence. They should still be delayed just long enough."

He turned to leave as a thought occurred to him. "Ah, ANBU headquarters should be undermanned by now to repel the invaders. I should see to at least one more of those accursed children." His image wavered like a mirage for a moment before he was gone.

Not long after, he appeared in a similar fashion within the very walls of ANBU headquarters. He was flanked on each side by the masked ninja of his ROOT organization. He strode forward confidently. Nobody would suspect he had escaped his ANBU escort before making his way deep within the secure walls of their base of operations.

Of course, they had no reason to believe anybody would sneak in. Any enemy would have to scour Konoha for the entrance. They didn't know the layout of the village or its hidden tunnels well enough to slip in and out using space/time techniques. He was sure guards were meticulously placed along strategic points. He was left alone to his own devices within the corridors ANBU sought to protect.

* * *

Gai had left his students to find his own battles and help out where he could. He smirked as he ran through the streets. He was making the same mistake as every proud jonin sensei. Neji was jonin, and Tenten and Lee were chunin. They weren't his students anymore, even if they were still part of the unofficial Team Gai. They were assigned to the same squadron so often he sometimes forgot they were fully fledged shinobi. They could take on their own missions and their own squads.

He stopped when he witnessed two jonin and four chunin squaring off against a lizard he thought he recognized as one of Hanzou's lesser summons. The features throwing him off were the concentric rings in each of the creature's eyes. He was as easily a story tall and painted red, yellow, and orange in a flowing pattern.

He was also about to crush one of the jonin in his maw. Gai rushed forward and delivered a fell blow to the creature's jaw to unhinge it. As his jaw slackened, the captured jonin managed to escape. Gai seemed to disappear from view before the lizard could recover.

A powerful blow from the creature's underside sent dust flying. A second blow lifted it into the air. Gai was then above and before the threatening summon; his leg was raised high. "Dynamic Kick!" The green-clad ninja bellowed before delivering a bone-shattering blow.

The lizard fell to the earth with a sickening thud. Blood oozed from its eyes and nose to indicate. Likely, the blows had fractured bones, including the skull. Sinuses were ruptured allowing blood to flood before escaping however possible. The creature wheezed once before departing the battle and the world, called from whence it came.

The shinobi Gai saved were about to show their gratitude when two bodies of Pein Rikudou showed up. Tendou appeared in the center of them and held his hands out. In an instant, _Shinra Tensei_ separated them with a powerful push. Half flew into the waiting arms of Gakidou.

The latter body bashed his captives together as he absorbed their chakra. They fell to the ground helpless and half dead. Gai watched from his vantage with a solemn expression he imagined his eternal rival would wear. Without turning to look at them, he gave a command to the survivors. "Get out of here."

The remaining shinobi nodded their heads. The injured jonin was with them. He could barely stand as the two chunin supported him. They also knew their superior's command brooked no argument. They fled without ever witnessing what came next.

Gai looked to the fallen shinobi. They were injured yes, but the injuries weren't enough to keep them down. On the contrary, they were suffering from extreme chakra exhaustion. They would be dead in minutes from a lack of vital energy, and the elite jonin knew the lacked the skill to take both bodies on at once.

He looked to the one that used _Shinra Tensei_. He didn't recognize the technique, and it seemed too powerful not to have any drawbacks. He had to find the weakness if he were to stand any chance. He looked to the one who seemed to devour chakra. They made a great team to cover each others weaknesses.

He suddenly stood erect and gave them his infamous 'nice guy' pose. "Yosh! Let's dedicate this battle to our youthful spirits and fill the streets with the cries of our springtime of youth!" Their expressions remained stoic even as he opened the first gate…and Gakidou was behind him before he could bat an eye.

He turned to try to counter, but he was forced to kneel in pain as the chakra gate he opened violently closed. The chubby, pierced man released him and backed away. It was Tendou who finally spoke. "I see. You're that type of fighter. You think nothing of sacrificing your body."

Gai turned his attention to the man who spoke. "Ah, so you're the leader." He received no answer as he stood. "No, I don't sacrifice my body. I express my full joy of the springtime of youth and give my opponent the best fight." He paused and seemingly mockingly wagged his finger at the invaders. "Besides, I must protect my cute students."

They didn't react to his taunts, but he was undeterred. He looked over his shoulder. _"That one is dangerous. He activated the defense mechanism that tells the gates to remain closed. I can't carelessly let him touch me long enough to absorb my chakra."_ He returned his gaze to the speaker. _"He's going to be difficult to get close to. It looks like I have to go all out."_

He concentrated and reopened the first gate. Before Gakidou could respond, he rushed towards Tendou. When he sensed _Shinra Tensei_, he forced the second gate open and dodged to the side. He felt power surge and blood boil as the third gate flooded his body with chakra.

Everything seemed to flow in slow motion as he rushed Tendou again. Gakidou intercepted him, and he was forced to retreat. He felt further power as the fourth gate seemed to blast open. He stood still for a critical moment to open the fifth and sixth gate. He barely managed to dodge the greedy, chakra-absorbing arms of the silent, chubby ninja before he took to the air to deliver a powerful kick to the most talkative of the group.

* * *

Shizune held up her hand to halt her squad as the sounds of fighting stopped. They were only a rescue and reconnaissance team. Tsunade gave them strict orders not to fight unless absolutely necessary. They were to try aiding injured they ran across and gather reliable information on the invaders. The orders were easier said than done.

They had to resist helping friends, even if they knew they could handle themselves. The fights against the summoned creatures were going in Konoha's favor. They seemed more a distraction than anything else. Few shinobi died fighting them, but one of the Pein Rikudou was sure to follow shortly behind. Then, they died.

The fights against any of the unnatural bodies of Pein Rikudou was completely one sided. In their short time in the field, they had only witnessed two of the bodies. Chikushoudou and Ningendou were fearsome to witness. The former summoned horde after horde of massive creatures. The latter ripped the life force from bodies he interrogated.

They couldn't witness what he was doing, but they knew the victims of his technique were dead. Their faces were frozen in terror and agony. It spoke to the horrendous nature of the unknown technique. It also emphasized their need to stay hidden.

When they came across Inoichi and Shiho, Shizune decided to order her squad mates back to Tsunade. They could report the unusual powers possessed by the enemies they witnessed. Sadly, they had nothing really new to report. They were only reaffirming previous reports.

Inoichi was grateful to receive help. Shiho had information for the Fifth, and he wasn't sure he could defend her on his own. As they turned to leave, they witnessed Ningendou holding Iruka roughly against a building. The chunin was struggling to get free, but he was oddly looking behind his attacker.

Shizune saw an opportunity. Her squadron was on its way back to safety, and there was at least one jonin nearby to escort Inoichi and Shiho to the Hokage's tower. She needed more information on the technique that seemed to drain life force. She turned to the mental expert. "I'm sorry Inoichi-san, but I'm going to have to ask you to find another escort."

He looked to Iruka. The man seemed in dire need of help. He nodded his head carefully. "I understand. You have a mission to complete." He paused as he looked her in the eyes. "Just be careful. Your life isn't any less important than any of ours." He smirked to try to lighten the mood. "Besides, we need all the medics we can get."

Shizune sighed before she turned around to help Iruka. Inoichi rubbed the back of his neck. "My, my, I guess Shika really is better at this stuff than I am." He turned to Shiho and waved for her to follow. "Come on; let's get that brain of yours to Tsunade-sama." They left with one final glance to Shizune, wishing her luck.

Shizune rushed out while flashing through hand seals. With her chakra control, the _Kawarimi no Jutsu_ variation was a cinch to pull off. She pulled on Iruka with the chakra strings created by the technique, and he let himself be dragged away. In his place, a large piece of rubble appeared. They were about to run away when Ningendou appeared to block their path.

"You still haven't told me…" He started, eyes boring into Iruka. "…where the Kyuubi has scurried off to in order to hide." He was about to grab them when his eyes darted in another direction. He jumped out of the way, inadvertently pushing his prey away. He fixed his gaze on the interloper.

"Oh my, it seems I'm just in time." Kakashi slouched and suspiciously placed something in his equipment pouch. He didn't bother snapping it closed. He turned a smiling face to Shizune and Iruka who landed in an embarrassing pose they weren't fully aware of. "I know personal contact's important and all, but I think you guys should leave it for later."

Iruka went bright red as he rolled over to avoid groping Shizune any more than he already had. She was flushed slightly as he stood. "Ah, I'm sorry Shizune-san." He was about to continue when she stopped him.

She looked to Kakashi. "Can you handle this yourself?" When he nodded lazily, she turned back to Iruka. "Now's not the time. We have to get to Tsunade-sama!" She turned and headed off, expecting him to follow.

He did after giving the elite, silver-haired jonin a polite nod. With the chunin and medical jonin out of the way, he sighed inwardly in relief. He didn't want them getting mixed up in a battle they couldn't handle. He'd seen too many Konoha shinobi die as it was. He turned a heated glower to Ningendou that somehow remained a friendly smile.

"Hatake Kakashi…" The life stealer commented as he recalled the powerful shinobi's bingo book record. "Copy Nin Kakashi, you posses the Sharingan despite not being of the Uchiha. You were assigned the Kyuubi as part of your genin squad." He lowered into a ready stance knowing full well he couldn't win without help.

His head jerked backwards as the sound of a thousand birds permeated the air. The sense of an impending thunderstorm would have made him shiver if he still could. He vaguely sensed his body spasm of its own volition. He managed to force his head down to see a hand sticking out of his chest covered in Raiton.

"_Chidori_…" Kakashi lazily drawled as he extracted his arm from his enemy's chest.

* * *

A cloud of smoke dissipated to reveal Lee with his leg outstretched. He narrowed his eyes in disappointment. "For an invasion, they seem like rather weak opponents. My youth is burning, and I can not find a worthy opponent!" He turned and effortlessly dispatched another dog summon.

Tenten finished making a race-breed canine look like a pincushion before she responded. "I doubt they'd invade if they thought they'd lose so easily. This has to be some sort of trap." They had yet to run across any of the fiercer battles with the Pein Rikudou. The worst they managed across were overwhelmed chunin and jonin.

Neji wasted no time crushing what internal organs he could with juuken. The summons that chose to fight him were dead and dispersed before they hit the ground. "I assure you; these creatures are mere decoys. I can see chakra throughout the range of my Byakugan. Combined, their chakra is dwarfed by any one of the invader's."

They believed him. With his Byakugan, he could see things they could never hope to. He was leading them along the safest route to help any pockets of resistance they could find. There was too much variety among the summon creatures to ignore, and the Hyuuga clan's powerful eyes had revealed only _one_ summoner. They were well aware that it was impossible to form a contract with more than one summon creature clan.

They couldn't ignore that the impossible was happening all around them. They also couldn't ignore the concentric rings in each and every creature's eyes. It bode of ill omens. They ignored their feelings of unease to continue on. With every squad they helped, they felt they were making some headway in the second invasion attempt in three years.

Two in a lifetime was strange enough. They never imagined they wouldn't even have the chance to turn twenty before another occurred.

They pressed on. They defeated wave after wave of impossible numbers and varieties of summon creatures. After helping a fourth squad, Neji noted something. "They're starting to concentrate on us…" With his extraordinary vision, he noticed his teammates look at him worriedly.

Indeed, they were being surrounded. They were already being recognized as a threat. Tenten bit her thumb nervously. "We haven't seen a single human, and we've defeated all the creatures we've run across. How'd they catch wind of us so quickly?" Then she turned her attention to a lizard Lee was fighting.

Her eyes widened. She had already _killed_ that exact one! It was colored red, yellow, and orange in a flowing pattern. She thought about it for a moment. No, Neji had also killed it once before. She focused on its eyes. Her eyes widened further just as Lee dealt the death blow. "They can see us!"

Her sudden realization caught Neji and Lee off guard. They nearly faulted against their latest opponents before they regained themselves. Lee was a bit confused while Neji considered it. He finally nodded in acquiescence. "Yes, that makes sense." As much as he hated to think about it, their coordination seemed to imply powerful communication. As Tenten said, they might well see them with an unknown doujutsu.

* * *

Fukusaku stood beside Naruto as they surveyed the strongest the toad contract had to offer. Gamabunta was flanked by his children, Gamakichi and Gamatsu. Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara stood behind them. Those six were the most powerful the toad contract had to offer, and they easily towered over the rest of the group.

At full size, Gamabunta was the biggest. Gamakichi and Gamatsu would probably be as tall as him in another decade or two standing at around half his size. Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara were a head shorter than them. The rest were definitely not as tall, but most didn't even come to three stories tall.

Naruto was still notably impressed. He was glad he followed Fukusaku's advice and waited. With the toad army following him into battle, Konoha had powerful backup. He turned his attention for a moment to his two _Kage Bushin_ sitting patiently and completely still near the waterfall. They were in sage mode, same as him. They were _his_ backup.

He reminded himself of his weaknesses using senjutsu without support from Fukusaku and his wife, Shima. He couldn't gather natural energy and fight at the same time. The whole point of merging was to constantly supplement lost sage chakra with a new mixture of natural energy and chakra. He also couldn't call on more than three additional _Kage Bushin_ or risk destabilizing his backup.

He took a deep, calming breath before addressing the crowd of nearly a dozen toads. "Thanks guys!" He smiled widely as the more articulate of the toads rolled their eyes. It wasn't much of a speech. "I know the contract doesn't say anything about helping my village." He took a deep breath and bowed. "I mean it. Thank you. Thank you _so much_."

He stood erect and tried to look as many of them in the eyes as he could. "I don't have the words to describe how thankful I am. I know I'm not very smart, but I know when to show gratitude. You guys…some of you I know very well." He smiled widely before taking in a deep breath and exhaling a loud shout. "YOU'RE ALL PRECIOUS TO ME!"

He paused to gauge their reaction. "I call everybody precious to me, who I can't stand to lose, my precious people." He put his hands behind his head and leaned against his interlaced fingers in embarrassment. "That's what you are to me. If you're willing to fight with me…for me, you're one of my precious people."

Hearing happy snickers and seeing happy shaking of heads, he turned to Fukusaku. "Fukusaku-sensei, thanks for all the help. Now, let's go!" He tilted his head down. "The hero can't return at the last moment this time…" Silently, he added to himself. _"…because the village has already lost so much."_

His silent prayer didn't need to be heard. Tsunade's letter was enough to call them to arms. Pein's initial attack was nothing short of horrific. There was a good chance an entire clan was just wiped off the planet. For all they knew, the Hyuuga were all but extinct. An urgent request from the Hokage to return was impossible to ignore.

Fukusaku unfurled a scroll as his chakra spiked. He slammed his open palm onto the markings. "_Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!" He looked at the ground beneath the scroll for a second longer before turning his gaze back to Naruto and the waiting army.

Nothing happened.

They weren't in Konoha. They hadn't even moved. Naruto's eyes went wide as he practically shouted. "What happened?! We need to get to Konoha!" He sounded desperate, and the toad summons couldn't disagree with his anxiety. They looked to the elder sage far more calmly than the blond leaf shinobi.

Fukusaku's face was twisted in bewilderment. He slowly turned to Naruto when he finished analyzing the situation in his head. "It seems…somebody marred the glyph anchors we set up in Konoha…" He closed his eyes in pain as a cold sweat flowed down his brow.

"What do you mean?" He noticed the pain his latest sensei was in. "Fukusaku-sensei, are you okay?" He worriedly knelt beside the elder toad. He felt relief when he simply nodded. He turned a questioning look to the gathered army of toads, but they looked only slightly less confused.

"Glyphs are a type of seal, tadpole. More accurately, they are an ancient form of Fuuin. Without a contract holder to anchor us with chakra, like you, it's impossible to move that kind of distance freely." He looked to the gathered army. "There is too large a mass of chakra here to move to ruined anchors."

The toad sage looked to the weakest three toads gathered. "Normally, it would take weeks to repair the glyphs to a state where we could move even you, tadpole. However, I have a temporary solution. You three, prepare yourselves."

The three he indicated nodded before pulling out a pair of scroll each. "_Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!" They disappeared in large puffs of chakra smoke. Naruto looked to Fukusaku quizzically. His breathing was slightly labored as he answered. "I sent them ahead to set up a temporary array. It's not a permanent solution, but we can at least move this army. Be patient tadpole, it'll still be some minutes."

Somehow, the hyperactive blond resisted bouncing on the balls of his feet or rocking back and forth. He knew he had to get to Konoha, but he couldn't defy rules of ninja logic. Fukusaku was tired just from reverse summoning the weakest of their small army. It was no wonder he couldn't move everybody present. He closed his eyes and prayed, and he somehow felt like he could feel Hinata's presence.

It was calming.

* * *

"What?!" Ino nearly shouted incredulously. "You can't be serious! I know Kiba and Shino are strong, but…" Akamaru barked. "…and Akamaru, but they can't handle this guy on his own!" She didn't want to abandon friends. Hinata's suggestion didn't make sense to her. They could beat Shuradou quickly and _then_ get Shion and Momiji out of there.

Chouji didn't know what to do, so he kept fighting. Unexpectedly, Kiba pushed him out of the way, practically into Ino. "What'cha doin' dillydallying around here for! You heard Hinata; get out of here!" He grinned toothily, enhancing his already animalistic appearance. "We can handle this chump!"

Shino imperceptibly nodded. "You must evacuate Shion-sama and Momiji-chan. Why? It is absolutely vital for Konoha to protect her dignitaries." Like his partner in crime, he was certain they could handle the unusual, pierced man on their own. They were holding back because they had people to defend.

Chouji grabbed Ino by the shoulders. "You gotta trust them. They know what they're doing, and they're entrusting their teammate to our care." He expanded his arm to easily hold Shion in one hand while running.

Ino sighed but gave up. She turned to glower at Kiba. "Don't you dare die!" She quickly turned and nodded. They took off with Chouji in the lead and Ino taking up the rear. Hinata was watching all around them with her Byakugan active, so they didn't need to fear being snuck up on. She knew what to watch out for.

Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru turned their attention back to Shuradou. Kiba cracked his shoulders in anticipation. "Ah, it's been a while since I got to throw down. Forgot what it feels like." His companion lowered himself into a battle stance. They were already fully prepared.

Shino didn't say anything as a swarm of insects rose around him, writhing and clicking in anticipation. He noticed how Shuradou barely even glanced towards their friends' retreating forms, and his creepy smile never changed. "My kikaichu dislike his chakra." The simple phrase worried him, and he could sense his teammate tense.

Kiba jumped back as a powerful burst exploded in front of him. Vision was obscured by the dust cloud kicked up, but Inuzuka relied on their noses more than their eyes. Kiba and Akamaru-human lunged forward. They were surrounded by a cloud of insects as Shino launched their own attack.

Kiba smirked as he and Akamaru stopped and crouched. "_Gatsuuga_!" Shuradou tried to get off another blast, but it was deflected by the powerful spinning attack. They crashed into the creepy body to send it crashing into the ground. Shino's insects weren't far behind. They latched on and, despite initial protests, attempted draining off some of the tainted chakra.

Shino's eyebrows rose sharply. His kikaichu indeed hated the taste of Shuradou's chakra, but he heard some of them express the desire to gorge on chakra around specific points. He concentrated on what his insects were telling him even as he watched them gather on invisible strings.

Shuradou's movements became sluggish as the invisible chakra strings grew thinner. He wasn't very fast to begin with, but he seemed to be taking more damage from Kiba and Akamaru's blows. It was as if he was using some technique to harden his body and, for whatever reason, wasn't able to react as quickly to prevent some of the damage. His eyebrows knitted together. It was as if the tainted body they fought was being controlled like a puppet.

He had fought puppet users before. Kankuro was only one of the puppet users he'd run across. He found they all fell for the same traps easily enough, but he had to note distinct differences in Shuradou. Though he seemed t be controlled by chakra strings, the chakra flowed in both directions. The strings also went off in whatever direction the seemed to desire.

His eyebrows knitted further. He could find neither rhyme nor reason why the flitted off in various directions. He toyed with the idea that the chakra strings were for communication rather than control, but that didn't fit with Shuradou's sudden bout of weakness.

Kiba and Akamaru had the definite upper hand. Shuradou wasn't getting off attacks nearly as often, and they were far less accurate. Though he never dodged before, he was showing signs of fatigue that weren't there before. The creepy smile never went away though. The smile was made all the more creepy as he continued to attack despite his damage.

Shino's eyebrows shot back up. He found another concern. As a single chakra string pulled taut and snapped, he ordered his insects to keep up their attack. The enemy wasn't concerned with injuries. Worse, the enemy showed no regard for life or limb. He just continued to press his attack. Shuradou may have been defending earlier, but he should have withdrawn, regrouped, or _something_ once the defense failed.

Something wasn't right. He couldn't interrupt Kiba and Akamaru with his thoughts or possibly disrupt their flow. Shuradou would be incapacitated or dead in just a few more moments. Shino only hoped cutting all the chakra strings ensured he stayed down. He felt several strings pull taut and snap as Kiba and Akamaru delivered a powerful _Gatsuuga_ to Shuradou's gut.

The ground beneath them groaned and creaked. A crater formed as they pressed their attack and drove the invader into what they felt would become his grave. The rest of the chakra strings grew taut and snapped just as Kiba and Akamaru finished their attack. They leapt out of the hole in the ground to inspect their work.

Shuradou was broken and battered at the bottom of a shallow hole. He still wore that creepy smile of his, but Shino's insects report no biological response. He still stared at their opponent, though. He couldn't shake the foreboding he felt. His insects even reported that they still sensed the tainted chakra running through his coils.

He stared at the physical impossibility. He broke every rule of biology and _logic_ they knew. His creepy smile wasn't helping any, either. He looked to the sky as a shadow moved rapidly above them. Absently, he wondered how Hinata was doing. Then, he turned to Kiba.

The dog tamer got the message. "Yeah, we should see if we can draw some attention. The less those guys are looking for Hinata the better." He contemplated the battle they were just in. It turned in their favor only after his teammate convinced the kikaichu to eat the chakra. He narrowed his eyes. He also remembered seeing insects stretch impossibly in the air without flying, like they were attached to chakra strings.

* * *

Ningendou and Gakidou stood atop a particularly tall building. They watched three leaf shinobi and two civilians make their way through the streets. Both civilians were unconscious, overwhelmed by the overflow of chakra. They were interested in one of the shinobi, however. She was a member of the Hyuuga clan, and her forehead was unmarked.

Nagato concentrated on those two and watched through the connection. It wasn't impossible that some Hyuuga escaped his attack, especially ninja. However, he couldn't let a single one escape his grasp. It was unseemly that _two_ were discovered fighting among the shinobi population. As he narrowed his eyes, he sent his orders.

Ningendou took off in pursuit while Gakidou slinked back into the shadows. The former would interrogate the Hyuuga girl to ensure the demise of the clan. The latter was exclusively a support body. He had to revive any fallen Pein Rikudou.

Though Ningendou had fallen to Kakashi, he was more than enough for three chunin. They were at a disadvantage as they would have to protect two civilians. Nagato had already decided that enough civilians had escaped to the Hokage monument, but he had to confirm something about the two in the midst of a group of _chunin_. All other civilians were evacuated by genin…in significantly larger groups.

If civilians could be evacuated by the dozens by a squad of only genin, what made the two civilians in the chunin's escort so special? Ningendou was tasked with finding the answer to that question. He also planned on asking about the Kyuubi. As the chunin were probably too young to know who the Kyuubi was, he'd phrase the question differently. Kyuubi no Kitsune or Uzumaki Naruto, he sought them as one and the same.

Ningendou halted in his progress as he detected the chakra signatures split evenly and head into two, different directions. His first thought was to continue following the one heading towards the Hokage monument. Thinking better of that, he turned his attention to the ones heading towards the west. They might be trying to circumventing route to throw him off.

Making up his mind, he followed the group taking the wide angle. He came straight at them knowing the Byakugan would see him and fully expecting them to do everything to evade. His cool expression remained even as they stayed true to their course. They weren't even trying to get out of his path. He thought they might be playing at something, so he continued anyway.

When he caught up to them, he jumped in front of the group. There was no point playing at a surprise attack when the Byakugan ensured he was seen well in advance. When he landed, he looked around at the strange expressions. They were…surprised to see him. Was he wrong? Had he followed the decoy just as they planned?

He looked directly into the Hyuuga girl's eyes. She trembled slightly and took a step back. He hadn't even flared his chakra in an attempt to attack. He noted that it _looked_ like she had the Byakugan active, but she was _acting_ like it wasn't helping her any. Was it some kind of _Bushin_? Maybe they met up with some other shinobi he hadn't detected, and they were squaring off against him in _Henge_.

Not wanting to waste time, he took to the roofs to catch up to the other group. It was inane to make the mistake he just did. He was not going to repeat it. He noted with some amusement that the group he left behind continued on its route. No doubt they were attempting to further sell the disguise.

They had no idea he shared his vision with the rest of the Pein Rikudou. If they were attacked, it would be because they survived the destruction of the other group and, therefore, were _not_ a type of _Bushin_. Besides, Nagato wasn't interested in decoys at the moment. It was more beneficial to go after possible sources of information.

There was another reason he was chasing after the female, main Hyuuga he had seen. Nagato had caught wind of some rumors that a kunoichi matching her description – female and main branch – having a certain loyalty, perhaps affection, for the young blond. They were unconfirmed rumors at best, but it was information that couldn't be ignored.

As Ningendou approached the group, they evaded to one direction. He followed without missing a beat. They evaded in the opposite direction, and he fell into step once again. This time, he was sure he had the right group. They were undoubtedly shaken by how quickly he discovered their ruse and caught up. They tried another maneuver, and he just took advantage of it by closing the gap even further.

They tried again and again, growing even more elaborate. He didn't even note how they evaded. There was little use in anything else but catching up with them and disposing of any useless information. He finally caught up and landed in front of them. They looked slightly frightened and more than a little frazzled. He coolly looked on as the large boy, an Akimichi he absently noted, carefully placed a regal looking girl down.

Nagato narrowed his eyes at the action. Was Konoha hosting royal dignitaries? If so, he understood why there was a foreign garrison stationed outside the village's gates. They weren't acting hostile towards the village, and they fought back well enough. He had been curious since seeing them through Chikushoudou and Gakidou's eyes.

Ningendou concentrated on the group as the female Hyuuga gently placed a child on the ground. He realized the child was a girl no older than three years of age. There was no point in killing children or civilians as ninja were the scourge of the planet. The woman and girl served well enough as hostages. The leaf shinobi had to defend them as they fought him.

He noted their fighting stances. The Hyuuga girl settled into her familiar juuken family style. The blond girl's stance was purely defensive. It was an unusual stance that emphasized protection of the upper body; her legs were loose and ready. The Akimichi boy expanded his body to twice its normal size, but he took no real stance.

The male struck out first, and Ningendou jumped back. Displaying a level of agility the tainted body would not have suspected, the massive arm stopped just before impact and gently touched down. Ningendou barely dodged under the sweeping kick aimed at his shoulder, neck, and head.

He met face to face with a fully prepared Hyuuga. She lashed out, but he easily dodged her strikes. He knew blocking was pointless. A juuken strike didn't have to actually hit to cause damage. Even as he was dodging, he checked the blond. She hadn't made a move. Perhaps she was backup…or medic. He heard Konoha supported medics on each squad.

Feeling he had a grasp of their abilities, Ningendou made his first move. Since he needed the Hyuuga alive for interrogation, he went after the blond. The Akimichi couldn't attack as long as he was in close range with one of his allies. It was his biggest weakness. He had to wait for an opportune time to strike.

He closed in on the blond after just one failed strike from the Akimichi. He threw his first strike, and she dodged it. He was undeterred. A second strike, and she dodged again. He ducked low to deliver a sweeping kick, and she jumped to avoid it. Knowing she couldn't dodge, he threw a fierce hook. He discovered a nuance of her 'fighting' stance.

She hooked a leg around his dedicated arm and swung at what should have been an awkward angle. He was immediately thrown off balance, and his face plowed into the ground below. She was still airborne, but she pulled a corkscrew to deliver a devastating blow to his kidney.

She jumped off his back and backed off to let the Akimichi and Hyuuga take over. He managed to push himself up just in time to receive a powerful blow from an enlarged fist. Flattened into the ground again, he felt several tenketsu close from close range juuken. They were a better team than he initially thought.

Foregoing pushing himself up, he instead rolled over when he sensed another huge fist bearing down on him. He managed to use his momentum to stand. He might have scoffed if they hadn't proven to be a threat. To his tainted body, tenketsu meant nothing. The Hyuuga could close every last one if she really wanted to. Her bug-taming comrade was a bigger threat with his ability to drain off chakra.

He reevaluated the situation. The blond was definitely a defense specialist. He might have been correct in guessing she was a medic. The Hyuuga was great in close range combat, but he was guessing she wasn't so great at a range. The Akimichi, on the other hand, was quite the opposite.

Making up his mind on his next target, he rushed the Akimichi. He tried to counter with an uppercut that dug a crevice into the ground, but Ningendou just jumped and ran up the massive arm. When the double-sized Akimichi tried to swat at him, he catapulted himself over the massive arm.

Before the Akimichi could respond, Ningendou landed an exceptionally harsh kick to his head. He followed it with a jab to the temple, uppercut to the chin, and a roundhouse kick to the ear. As the giant fell, he turned to face the other two. He had seen the blood and listless expression. The Akimichi likely had a concussion and was falling unconscious.

He turned when he heard earth crumble to the ground. He turned because he _knew_ without a doubt that _Kawarimi no Jutsu_ hadn't been used. He was startled by what he saw. The boy crumbled into a useless pile of rock and soil. He hadn't defeated the Akimichi. He had defeated a _Tsuchi Bushin_.

He turned to the remaining fighters. Had he been deceived? Were they all some form of _Bushin_? He rushed the blond again to try to uncover the truth. She proved to be agile, and the Hyuuga joined in to make things a lot more difficult. He finally managed to corner the blond and beat her into submission.

He heard a fizzle and pop before she dissipated into static sparks raining down. She was a _Rai Bushin_ the entire time. He reached out and violently jerked the fatigued Hyuuga by her throat. He fed chakra into his technique wondering if maybe, just maybe, the other team was the decoy to lead him away from her. His arm was soaked as her _Mizu Bushin_ was disrupted.

* * *

This story is, officially, over two-hundred thousand words! Yahoo! Wow, I never thought _School Daze_ would lead to this massive work. Thanks to my readership's continued support!

I'm particularly proud of the last fight. I hope, as usual, you guys enjoy it.

For fans of my other works, I'm not abandoning them! I promise! _Fate, Alchemy, and Bridges_ is fighting me tooth and nail, and _Memoirs of a Hokage_ has an idea fleshing itself out. I'm only releasing my next chapter of _Twilight of Mixing Time_ after the above two are updated, and even its not done.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,055  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Chidori_ - _Thousand Birds_: Also known as _Raikiri _(_Lightning Edge_), _Chidori_ is so called for the sound it makes. It is Kakashi's self-proclaimed only original technique. It can cut through nearly anything and is famous for penetrating even the Ichibi's ultimate defense. It's weakness is tunnel vision from the extreme speed required, ranking it as S-rank kinjutsu. Only doujutsu can completely control it.

_Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu_-_Reverse Summoning Technique: _Fukusaku uses this tosummon without a contract holder anchoring the requested creature with his or her chakra. With it, he can even summon a contract holder.

_Rai Bushin_ and _Mizu Bushin no Jutsu_ - _Lightning Clone_ and _Water Clone no Jutsu_: C-rank techniques that are considered among the most basic of elemental techniques. Novices of elemental manipulation should be able to use these.


	25. Chapter 23: Battle Preparation

TimeShifter: As a note, all shinobi seem to utilize at least a few time/space techniques, as evidenced by the _Kawarimi no Jutsu_. I'll leave the rest to speculation as the Danzo situation really is a mystery right now (especially in the manga, but for different reasons). Kakashi put away his..._Icha Icha_ book... I'm dead serious... Excellent questions and guesses on Momiji... Now if only there was a way to answer without spoiling a huge plot point... I will reveal this, however, about the Aburame. Pein knows when and how they are a threat, and he still doesn't see them as anything major to ruin his plans.

samueltm2: I'd put Sasuke at somewhere between Waterfall and the Valley of the End; though, I may need to look at a map. We'll hear more of him soon, about the time Naruto and Kanaeru show up in Konoha...maybe next chapter. I have plans for him.

serin2: You are correct, sir! Gai doesn't know their abilities, but a generalized 'feel' for them has revealed that what he knows of their abilities mesh well. I thank you for the critique as I'll definitely look into refining how I say things like that.

Eggoboy4361: I'm curious what you thought of the plot twist the very next chapter (16: A Rivalry of Princesses), but I digress. I'm glad you caught up and have enjoyed the show so far!

* * *

**Chapter 23:  
Battle Preparation  
**

Kakashi rushed through the streets of Konoha in hopes of helping whomever he could. He had mostly encountered small skirmishes between summoned beasts and fellow shinobi. He felt a weight on his shoulder and lazily looked to see Katsuyu resting there with her antenna-like eyes staring at him.

He came to a stop near a water tower atop one of the many rooftops of Konoha. His fingers twitched near his equipment pouch, but he dare not withdraw what he stashed earlier. It was no time for the last masterpiece of the great, late Jiraiya. "Are things really so bad that Hokage-sama needs to call you?"

She bobbed what could only be her head. "Too many shinobi are dead. Tsunade-sama's sending her chakra through me to heal anybody she can." She looked around, an eye witness to the destruction for Tsunade. "Battles are taking place everywhere, and our shinobi are running out of chakra faster than the invaders."

He nodded his head. He'd witnessed it himself and decided to relay the information he'd gathered. "Worse, I think the enemy can revive whoever falls. I killed one, and his body just…disappeared. A moment later, I sensed his chakra signature heading off somewhere else." He paused to gauge her reaction. "He was _definitely_ dead."

She nodded her understanding and delivered the message to Tsunade. It was very troubling to think the enemy could be revived. Her eyes ticked after a moment as she received a message and passed it on. "Tsunade-sama says she expected as much. Apparently, Shizune-san reported that the bodies' 'aura' felt off, like they were dead."

She watched his expression as he soaked in the information and filtered it as necessary. After he seemed satisfied with how he could use what he was told, she continued. "Tsunade-sama has some more…troubling news." She saw a startled expression flicker in his visible eye for a moment before it was gone. "Several of our dead were found with little to no injury."

Kakashi acknowledged her words with a simple nod of his head. It was by _far_ more troubling to learn shinobi with no life-threatening injuries were dead than to learn the bodies could revive. He could think of few techniques that could kill a man without leaving any sign of injury or combat.

They couldn't be genjutsu because they took too long to kill. Even the Mangekyou Sharingan's _Tsukuyomi_ couldn't kill quickly enough without some form of finishing blow. There was a technique used in torture and interrogation where the victim was subjected to pain upon lying, and there was potential to alter it to kill with deceit.

He tilted his head back to watch a cloud pass overhead. He could also think of soul-stealing and soul-sealing techniques. They usually held steep repercussions, but the ability to revive potentially eliminated them. The strange abilities alone were difficult to deal with, but they were unreasonable when combined. Was Konoha in a position to deal with such well equipped invaders?

"Hey, obaa-chan!"

Kakashi recoiled as a voice rang through his head. He looked at Katsuyu, picking at the ear facing her. "Who was that?" He watched the slug shaker her head. "What's she doing on Hoka-…?" He didn't have the chance to finish his question.

"I'm sorry; Tsunade-sama says she has to deal with something for a moment." The slug politely stated with an apologetic bow. She went quiet and concentrated on her chakra.

"My, my…" He sighed. He shook his head with a shrug and looked around for the nearest skirmish. Finding one, he took off in that direction. He only wondered what was going on with Tsunade. He also had to wondering who the young-sounding female speaking through Katsuyu's network was. He couldn't shake the feeling that she sounded familiar…

* * *

Tsunade sent an icy glower to the small, pale girl standing before her. Bull and a squad of ANBU surrounded Konoha's leader, ready to defend her at a moment's notice. Though the chakra-suppressing seal on her abdomen made her a nonentity, they were still tense with anticipation.

Rikka swayed slightly under the bright, midmorning sun. Though the tattoo under her eye glimmered as it protected her from the harsh rays, she still didn't like being out in the heat. She stared defiantly at the slug sannin after calling her out. She knew Naruto enjoyed calling her that, so she decided to try out the nickname herself. The immediate effect pleased her greatly.

"What do you want, brat?" Tsunade barked, despite recognizing that the 'little girl' was truly her senior in age. She didn't like being disrespected, and the middle of the battlefield was no place to settle personal affairs. She didn't know what the pale-skinned girl wanted, but it was best saved for less dire situations.

Rikka stoically shifted her focus to Katsuyu. She recognized that the slug's fragments could communicate over long distances, but it wasn't nearly as fast as a direct psychic connection. They had to be told something, transmit it, and repeat it to the recipient. There was too much delay for the battlefield.

Tsunade was about to yell at the faux child when she felt an intimate connection in her mind. She blinked repetitively as she came to acknowledge other presences in a pseudo-mindscape. She looked to Katsuyu, Shikamaru, and Rikka all in turn. She spoke aloud and winced as it boomed in her head. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Rikka looked the buxom blond in the eyes as she answered. Her voice reverberated through the minds of all present but didn't carry over Katsuyu's network. "I can communicate thoughts much faster, but I can't make a network on my own because my chakra's been sealed. In this situation, I'm taking advantage of that slug."

Tsunade's brow twitched as a vein threatened to pop. "You're a _student_ now! You should have evacuated with everybody else!" She rubbed her temples as, once again, her voice boomed inside the mindscape the pale-skinned girl created. She wasn't used to communicating through a psychic network.

As both women who looked nothing like their true ages stared each other down, Shikamaru decided to speak up. "Well…" His lips weren't moving as he communicated through the mindscape. "…at least I don't have to work any more than _thinking_ about what I want to say." He eyed the buxom blond.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She took his cue and only thought her words through the mindscape. "Leave it to you to find the laziest way out of a situation. However, Rikka should _not_ be here. This is a battlefield, and…-" She squinted her eyes as pressure, angry and indignant, concentrated on her from the girl through the mindscape.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and shoulders. "Troublesome." He looked at the young-looking girl. "You understand the risks." It was more a statement than question, but she nodded in the affirmative anyway. "She can transmit our battle plans to everybody faster than we can relay them to Katsuyu, and she'll need to deliver the message verbally anyway."

He looked to a passing cloud thoughtfully. "It's annoying to know that all your messages are repeated at least twice verbally when it can simply be sent mentally." He eyed the girl curiously. "Can you hear what people are thinking near Katsuyu's fragments?" She shook her head in negative. "Troublesome."

"I can, however…" Rikka started confidently, affixing attention on her next words. "…detect where those…abominations are _and_ approximate where they're heading." There was a gleam in her eye speaking to her pride. A part of her was enjoying the prospect of the battle of wits.

Tsunade licked her lips. She simply couldn't ignore such a prospect. The Kagennotsuki clan could purportedly connect the minds of allies on the battlefield, but reports were far and few between of any but the youngest invading the minds of enemies and maintaining that connection for any length of time.

Taking in a breath and crossing her arms, she decided to gather more information before coming to a decision. "Can you read the enemies minds?" The girl shook her head. "Negative, huh?" She sighed. "Well, how can you make such strong claims? Whoever they are, this Pein character is strong."

Rikka screwed her face in concentration. She wasn't sure how to answer the question because she wasn't sure just _how_ she could tell in the first place. She felt something like a pulse and looked up with inspiration. A smile curled her lips as her thoughts transmitted her words. "They move chakra similarly to a Kagennotsuki communicating psychically."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "You mean those six bodies are communicating with each other?" He nearly cursed himself for not thinking about it earlier. He was already thinking the situation through, and several pieces were falling into place. With a few more pieces, he'd have everything he to build a game plan.

Rikka raised a brow. "It's possible, yes. However, I can't really tell the purpose, and I can't tell if there are any more bodies than the six within Konoha's walls. If my chakra weren't sealed…" She looked expectantly towards the Fifth only to receive a negative. "…I might be able to reach further and build a true communications network."

Bull watched the exchange, and he agreed with his leader. There was something to gain in freeing the girl, but the risk was too great. They didn't know what side she was actually on, and she hadn't done much of anything to prove her loyalty. At the same time, he couldn't discredit them for finding a use in her rather minimal powers.

Tsunade heaved a breath before announcing her decision. "Katsuyu, allow Rikka to connect this local network to your fragments' network." She eyed the girl warily. "Can I trust you to manage the network by relaying information to the right recipients?" It was a skill she took for granted as the slug could select one or a group or all fragments to communicate information to.

Rikka rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Of course, that's basic!" She huffed, insulted. Cheeks puffed, she continued. "I can read your intentions quicker than they can filter through your mind, so just leave intended targets to me. I can even fix trajectories in real time, so we won't have to worry about Pein noticing."

Tsunade scratched her chin. As soon as Pein noticed his movements were being intercepted too quickly for scout squads, he would most certainly target the strongest chakra signatures in the village. She knew she was a prime target, but the elite jonin of the village were too. Was it worth the risk?

She eyed her ANBU escort, Shikamaru, and finally Rikka. A smirk tugged her lips. Yeah, it was worth the risk. "All right Rikka, I think I'll take you up on your offer." She crossed her arms and looked down on the girl. Her imposing figure was highlighted by the midmorning sun, still climbing towards its noontime peak.

The girl really was a handful, but her usefulness was unquestionable. Even sealed, she had managed to find a way to level the playing field slightly. The small tilt towards balance was enough to fill the Fifth's heart with hope. Pein might be beyond their ability to defeat, but they could hope to hold him off until a senjutsu enhanced Naruto arrived.

Her eyes widened in realization. Naruto hadn't arrived yet! She bit her thumb nervously. There was no way he'd refuse her order. There was no way he'd refuse to help his friends. Therefore, something had happened. She could only hope he was okay and pray for his hasty arrival.

Rikka suddenly spoke up and shook the slug sannin from her inner musings. "I've finished preparations. The network is fully anchored, and I'm ready to relay orders as necessary." She sat cross-legged as she concentrated on the psychic connection, the light glow of chakra emanating from her.

Tsunade sat similar to the girl, and Shikamaru followed suit in his thinking pose. Bull commanded his squadron to be on the lookout. The battle was only entering its earliest phases, and Konoha had survived its foundations being shaken. They need to pull through and show their resolve beyond anything. Through extension, they needed their trump card.

* * *

Saiga bolted upright, startled. He looked around anxiously before laying himself back down. He wrote it off as paranoia and huffed. "Who wouldn't be paranoid in an enemy encampment?" He narrowed his eyes as recent memories flooded his consciousness.

Rikka was as good as a traitor. She had told him, in no uncertain terms, that their mother was dead. **_DEAD_**! She maintained that same, near emotionless form of mind-speak. She even reported directly to him that she _willingly_ allowed tracking and chakra seals to be attached to her, and she had been 'adopted' by leaf jonin Yuuhi Kurenai.

Memories of his elder sister weren't the worst of events, however. The same night his mother died, he heard a scuffle from his brother's prison cell. Later, it was reported that the eldest of the failed Hyuuga blends was dead. After that, Saiga had been quiet and unresponsive for days, even needing to be spoon-fed.

He shook his head from his musings when he heard a loud clank. He looked over to his cell door and jumped at what he saw. A heavily bandaged man, hiding an arm and an eye that might not be there anymore, stood with a falsely friendly smile. To either side stood ANBU-looking escorts.

Saiga was at a loss for words. He hadn't sensed such bloodlust since being interrogated by that crazy snake lady. Even then, she didn't want to kill him. She got a sick pleasure from torturing him, and her bloodlust _was_ torturous. The man standing before him had a different bloodlust.

He wanted the youngest failed Hyuuga blend dead!

Swallowing, Saiga backed up against the wall as the bandaged man drew a katana from the folds of his robes. His eyes widened as the door was effortlessly sliced to ribbons. He wanted to shrink away as the truly evil gaze drew closer with every breath. He recoiled when the man finally spoke.

"Though I agree that your bloodline could benefit Konoha, my master wants you dead." He scoffed. "To think, the _one_ thing I agree with the Fifth on, and I can't obey her." He tilted his head. "Oh well, I'm sure I can still recover your father or somebody from Housekiyama with your kekkei genkai."

He inched closer to the helpless prisoner, finally resting the edge of his katana against the ice master's jugular. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Danzo, war hawk of Konoha. I serve the true Hokage, Uchiha Madara, and he'll make me the Sixth to reign over war-torn lands."

With a fluid slice, the last ashen eyed male fell. Only the ashen eyed female remained, and she was too well guarded at the moment. Danzo turned to his ROOT escort. "We should make ourselves seen. We'll show…effort in defending Konoha, but don't go out of your way for those who must perish."

He paused as images of peace-loving shinobi flashed through his mind. With a sneer, he continued. "You've memorized my bingo book on shinobi treasonous to Konoha. You're well trained and now how to take care of them without being noticed." His image flickered as a smirk broke his scarred face.

After a moment, they were in a quiet alley somewhere in the village. He signed them, "Dismissed. Disperse." His ROOT escort followed his orders instantly, and he sensed his well trained troops filter into the city. His cheek twitched as he fought a growing smirk. If things went well, Pein would take care of the Fifth, and he could effortlessly rise to power.

* * *

Gai came to a skidding halt, blood trailing down one side of his face. His breath was heavy as he panted to give his body much needed oxygen. He grudgingly admitted that his first assessment was right. Tendou and Gakidou were a well balanced team. One thing troubled him, though.

He couldn't find any pattern of weakness, and he suspect it was because of how they covered each other. Tendou could push or pull any object, including techniques. Gakidou could absorb chakra, even if it was dedicated to a technique. Worse, he couldn't surprise them!

He was fast. He could easily flank or reverse them. Several times, he thought he had the advantage of a surprise attack, and they turned it right against him. He was sure his eternal rival could figure out exactly what he was missing. Kakshi had the advantage of a Sharingan, true, but he was also somebody whose analytical skills were unmatched, not including Shikamaru.

No. Gai hated to admit it, but he was being pressed. He dodged, parried, and attempted to counter blows. He was being pushed back, and even the gates weren't working. It was a double-edged sword where the edge facing the opponent was dulled. His body was wearing down, but he needed everything he had just to keep from being mauled.

His eyes widened to a presence behind him. He ducked and rolled to one side quickly enough to avoid being captured and drained of chakra, but he realized his mistake a moment too late. He rolled towards the other enemy and was pushed harshly back.

He rolled past Gakidou and slammed into a wall. Air evacuating his lungs, he coughed to regain composure. He heard Tendou walking towards him, but he felt his limbs paralyzed. His pupils dilated as his muscles tensed. He couldn't move! He wasn't afraid, and he could feel his muscles constrict and relax.

He felt two hands rest just above each temple and looked up to see who was about to deliver the death blow. It was the one he thought the leader. He closed his eyes; glad he could save at least a few lives. He only hoped his students wouldn't morn like Asuma's and, instead, carry on in their springtime of youth.

The sound of thousands of birds filled the air, and Gai felt his hairs stand on end. The ground directly in front of him exploded, and he saw his eternal rival glaring off in the direction Tendou dodged to. "Successful." He heard that familiar phrase faintly and knew Shikaku was also there.

Gai forced his legs to work and was soon standing side-by-side with his eternal rival. He wiped sweat from his brow and tried to regain his vision. He heard mirthful laughing and looked to the large man made larger by family techniques. "Even without Inoichi here, I'm sure we can handle this. Kakashi, you ready?"

"Yeah…" He lazily looked the green-clad ninja over with a scrutinizing gaze. "You're wiped, Gai. Take a temporary break and recover your chakra." He turned his astute gaze to the two invaders who gave the elite jonin so much trouble. The toma of his Sharingan spun to life. "We'll handle them."

Gai was _not_ going to miss the coming battle. Kakashi was a terrible force on the battlefield when he got serious, and he was joined by two-thirds of the most famed Ino-Shika-Cho team, Shikaku and Chouja. He also immediately noticed something he couldn't while fighting Tendou and Gakidou alone.

Each could see what the other saw!

The revelation sent his mind reeling. With Kakashi, Shikaku, and Chouja fighting, the battle should have been over in an instant. Instead, Tendou and Gakidou just barely dodged every attack. In watching, Gai noticed something else. Their weaknesses!

Tendou seemed to have some sort of 'recharge' time. He could only use his technique sparingly. Gakidou couldn't absorb chakra without concentrating. His technique only robbed techniques and people of their effectiveness if he had time to mold his own chakra. He was about to speak his revelations aloud when he felt a weight on his shoulder.

He looked over to see Katsuyu, and he felt his chakra already being replenished. He heard Tsunade's voice in his head. "Sorry you had to fight so long on your own, Gai. I sent these three over as quickly as I could. Oh, and don't say anything too loudly. Katsuyu can hear you if you just whisper."

Gai nodded and followed her advice as if it were an order. "Of course Hokage-sama, but I thought Katsuyu still had to speak your words for you." He shook his head. It was an unimportant and trivial matter. "Anyway, I noticed something about those two. Tell Kakashi that…"

He heard Tsunade laugh. "Oh no, don't worry about that. Kakashi already knows their weaknesses. Don't forget, he has the Sharingan." She then revealed everything that had taken place. Gai listened intently.

He was glad to hear they had found some use in the girl they had captured in Housekiyama. He would have felt bad if her youthfulness was squandered. He was saddened to hear that over a quarter of the village's shinobi were dead or unaccounted for, but relief flooded him to learn his squad was safe and still fighting.

When he heard that all civilians but Shion and her adopted daughter were accounted for in civilian shelters, he nodded in understanding. The proud shinobi of the leaf no longer had to hold back. Though damage to the village should be avoided, repelling the insanely powerful invaders was the top priority.

Gai turned his attention back to the fight and narrowed his eyes. There was something off about Kakashi. His movements were awkward, like he was trying harder to completely dodge, parry, and counterattack. It was as if he wasn't willing to accept being hit at all.

Gakidou stopped moving for a moment before the shadow under him wavered. A moment later, he was free. Shikaku huffed before ducking behind a massive fist. The chakra-eating body was knocked back, but the fist shrunk to its natural size. Chouja withdrew his hand and rubbed it. "Ouch, that's painful. Hey Shika, you think you can hold him longer?"

Shikaku managed to dodge a well aimed _Shinra Tensei_ before he could reply from a safe nook. "Don't know. He absorbs chakra quickly, but he destabilizes elements faster." He noticed a shadow out of the corner of his eye and ducked to one side. He fought a smirk when he noticed a silver mane intercept.

A crackle and pop later, Tendou was thrown back by a powerful decoy. Gai was also feeling better, so he cracked his knuckles in preparation. A powerful explosion nearby drew everybody's attention as Tendou shrugged off the damage he had taken. After a moment to inspect the battlefield, he raised a brow looking at a pile of rubble. "_Raikage Bushin no Jutsu_, really?"

Kakashi emerged, looking a little worse for wear. His flack jacket was torn to ribbons, and his hitai-ate was on its last thread. As he stood erect, the thread snapped, and the leaf symbol fell to the ground. The spot he emerged from, the others noticed, was the epicenter of the explosion caused by Shuradou.

Kakashi analyzed the situation, Sharingan spinning wildly. As he looked at each body in turn, he whispered his findings to Katsuyu. "The leader seems to repel or attract anything with some kind of force jutsu. However, he needs to recharge at least five seconds." He quickly added a description, including placement of piercings.

"The stout one can absorb chakra and its nature, but his ability seems to take a good deal of concentration. He's not as fast moving, so he attacks like a shark." He described the second before moving on to the third. "The newest one seems to fire blasts of energy and…explosive projectiles. No data on weaknesses, but he appears to have a lesser range of movement."

With physical descriptions and a moderate understanding of powers, Tsunade relayed Kakashi's information to all shinobi connected to Katsuyu. A moment later, she replied. "Kiba and Shino report they killed that third one already!" Alarm was evident in her voice. Sadly, the information only confirmed something they discussed earlier.

Kakashi merely nodded. "Yeah, we knew the possibility existed." He paused for a moment, bowing his head. "By the way, do we have a final count on casualties at the Hyuuga estates?" He didn't have to wait long, even as he dodged a series of explosions from Shuradou.

"Right, I suppose you wouldn't have heard." Relief was evident in her voice. "Miraculously, it seems there were no casualties. All Hyuuga civilians were escorted safely to the shelters, and Hyuuga shinobi are filtering into battle zones across the village." Tsunade didn't need to see his expression to tell he was pleased.

Kakashi smiled and hummed a brief tune. Good news always enhanced morale, and he was sure news would spread quickly enough with Katsuyu's newly enhanced network. He'd have to ask how it was improved later. A nearby explosion caused the _Kage Bushin_ to puff out of existence.

A moment later, a powerful ball of electricity was dangerously close to Tendou's face. The lead body looked on solemnly before lifting his hands and blowing the elite jonin away. Dispersing the technique, he brushed a hand through his silver mane. "My, my, I thought I timed that better."

Chouja picked climbed out of the rubble he had landed in and sent an apologetic look. He had hoped to coordinate the attack better, so Kakashi could take the lead body out with a well timed _Chidori_. He received a look that told him not to worry about it.

The leaf shinobi resisted looking when a massive crash threw up dust and caused a small tremor. From across the village, they heard what sounded like a pack of dogs break off from a single point. They, however, couldn't pay it any mind as the bodies they were facing soon rejoined the battle.

* * *

Lee emerged from rubble and jumped away just as a pack of wolves jumped at him. They tore apart the rest of the building's foundation, and it started to collapse from a lack of support. He held his arm, nursing a particularly nasty gash he'd received during the course of combat. Katsuyu was already working on his wound.

Tenten stood in a ready stance with a scroll unfurled. She was covered in sweat and panting, but she didn't look ready to quite. She carefully whispered to Katsuyu, who was helping replenish her lost chakra. "The female we've been fighting has been summoning creature after creature. She doesn't seem limited by one summoning contract, and they all have concentric rings in their eyes just like the other bodies."

Neji's clothes were badly torn, and his forehead was revealed. The enemy was slowly wearing them down, and he wasn't sure how much longer they could last. Every time they tried to get close to Chikushoudou, she summoned a new beast for them to contend with. They hadn't a moment's reprieve, and she still seemed fresh.

The teens weren't helped by the facts Tsunade had transmitted through Katsuyu. Their opponent had completely different abilities, and she was able to thwart their attempts to stop her by moving hordes of summon beasts upon them at a time. It was frustrating at the very least.

They had lost track of how many creatures they had killed, and they dared not count how many different creatures they had faced off against in combat. They were near their limits and could only keep fighting with Katsuyu's timely help.

As the dogs reformed and created the massive, multi-head creature again, they finally heard some good news. They heard Tsunade speak through the network Katsuyu's fragments created. "You've got some reinforcements on the way. Hold them off until they arrive."

They were alone for the moment, but the news was definitely welcome. They fought with renewed vigor and pressed forward. They managed to avoid the larger, multi-headed dog while taking out the lesser summons. It was still no easy task, but it was a manageable one.

It wasn't long before they heard the welcome shouts of a moving army. It wasn't long before a hope lost became a hope restored. They were quickly overtaken by allies running out to destroy the summoned army. They quickly learned the Hyuuga were still alive in vast numbers.

Lee released a premature victory cry that Tenten and Neji shook their heads to. They then joined the battle, ready to fight to defend the village. They knew they could hold the invaders off long enough to let Naruto arrive. He was their trump card, so they were honestly hoping to drive off the attackers without resorting to his latest training.

They also weren't stupid enough to hold their collective breaths. The Pein Rikudou were proving to be powerful adversaries. They defied shinobi logic and were ridiculously powerful. Just the one they were fighting, alone, could level city blocks with hordes of summon creatures. She seemed to have as bottomless a pit of chakra as Naruto, and that fact was worrisome.

* * *

Nagato watched the scene feeling indignation. Through some miracle or fluke, masses of Hyuuga marched the streets. With so many present, he doubted he had succeeded at all in eliminating a single one. Worse, he had to dedicate half his Pein Rikudou to fighting a particularly annoying group of jonin.

Briefly, he eyed Konan out of the corner of his eye. She wouldn't like his next plan of action, but he needed to see results, and he needed to see them soon. As he returned his attention to the battle, he steeled his nerves for a great expenditure of chakra. He first, however, had to deal with the annoyances before him.

* * *

Ningendou watched from a high perch as three groups split off. While two were heading for the Hokage monument, one was making a beeline for the tower at the center of the village. He was certain that group was one of the decoys, so he was deciding between the two headed towards the great monument.

He also knew he couldn't expect any help. Jigokudou hung back to revive fallen bodies, and the battle against Konoha had forced him to use his ability several times. Chikushoudou was locked in battle against a lot of Hyuuga and two others. The other three were struggling against a powerful group.

He was practically on his own. His only backup was revival. He could count on no other support. With a powerful burst of chakra, he took off towards one of the groups heading towards the monument. Again, it didn't even attempt to dodge. He had to wonder if they had set up the decoy differently this time around or if he had stumbled across them on his first try again.

He wasn't taking his chances. Ningendou launched towards them and immediately noticed they weren't as powerful as the last time he faced them. They were slower, and their responses weren't as acute. It was obvious they had worn themselves out to create the elemental clones _and_ give them the ability to separate by such distances.

He noticed the problem when the medic with an unusual defense style met an untimely end. Her body reacted like it should when his hand pierced her heart, but she popped and crackled with sparks from a _Rai Bushin_. From then, he didn't bother trying to keep the Hyuuga girl alive. He had found another group of decoys.

They still tried to stop him, and the dignitary clones turned out to be combatants ready to strike. As he crushed the chubby boy's spine, he flew into the clones for the Hyuuga girl and small child. A _Tsuchi Bushin_ and two _Mizu Bushin_ crashed out of existence. The remaining clone was crushed under falling rubble, and he didn't bother finding her composition.

Nagato grew annoyed with the additional failure, but Ningendou continued his course. He rushed for the next group as quickly as he could. As he grew nearer, he noticed they weren't even attempting to dodge either. For a moment, he looked over his shoulders. Either the second group headed towards the monument was another decoy or they had given up on dodging.

Whatever the case, he was going to handle them quickly. He doubted they were really moving towards the tower. They had civilians they had t get to the safety of the monument. Though he knew it was absurd, he couldn't dismiss the possibility. They had played to his beliefs and knowledge last time and ruined his plans.

As he landed in front of the third group of two girls and a chubby boy, he took note of the surroundings. They were significantly closer to the Hokage monument. The area seemed like some sort of part, very green and fresh smelling. There was a pond nearby, and he could clearly sense shinobi nearby. They were likely guarding entrances to the shelters.

He also felt three smaller presences and paid them no mind. Their chakra was inconsequential, and he could handle them if necessary. In the meantime, he observed his quarry. They were tired and sucking in breath like their lives depended on it. Sweat was thick on their brows. They didn't appear ready for combat.

Ningendou settled into his stance and inched forward. The leaf shinobi flinched before setting down their charges and settling into their own stances. Just before rushing forward, he felt chakra surge from one of the insignificant gnats. He looked over to see two, identical faces heading his way. He saw one powering the technique of the other, and his eyes widened ever so slightly.

He was blown away by a powerful _Rasengan_ to the gut. As he tumbled through the underbrush, he heard a female voice call out worriedly. "Konohamaru-kun, you should have stayed hidden."

As he stood, he saw the boy who attacked him. His clone dispersed as he answered. "Can't you see we had to, Moegi-chan? They're tired. Besides…" He pointed to the Hyuuga and held out his pinky. "…she's Naruto's…" He flexed his pinky. "…you know."

Another boy, snot trailing out of his nose, palmed his face. "You're following another rumor; aren't you?" He looked up, startled. "Konohamaru, behind you!" His warning was too late as his friend tumbled into Chouji's waiting arms.

The large teen set the boy down and whispered something in his ear. "Moegi, Udon, help me get these two…" He indicated Shion and Momiji. "…outta here!" As the three picked up the dignitary and her adopted daughter, he was surprised they were allowed to escape so easily.

When they were out of sight, Ningendou turned his attention back to the group he decided had to be his real quarry. "I see. If you're concerned for the safety of those visiting dignitaries, you must be real this time." He shifted his battle stance. "It's time I eliminated you."

He rushed forward and prepared to deliver the fell blow to the annoying group once and for all. He had 'eliminated' them far too many times for his liking, but they had surprised him with their skill in elemental clones. The clones were far weaker for it, but they had traveled a fair distance from their creators. The choice to use them in such a manner, however, had cost them dearly by forcing them to dive dangerously deep into their chakra reserves.

* * *

Kanaeru arrived at Konoha's main gates to see a sight she had never expected to see. Isaribi and Sasame arrived a moment later, and the three gawked at the odd scene. They didn't know why they were there, but a large force of regular soldiers lay unconscious just beyond the gates. By the looks of the encampment, they had expected a long stay.

A moment later, Kanaeru looked over her shoulder to see Gayt and Star arrive. With his heavy armor, they were slower, but they had kept pace very well. Acknowledging his presence, she ordered Isaribi and Sasame to check the soldiers. She wasn't sure how many of them there were, so she couldn't use her chakra sense to determine how many had perished.

She walked cautiously to Gayt's position. "I don't sense Naruto in the village, and a lot of chakra signatures are significantly weaker than I was anticipating. It looks like something really is going down in Konoha." She paused a moment to watch the teenage kunoichi work. "We should go into this prepared."

Gayt merely nodded as he clenched his fist. A light glowed around his hand before taking the vague shape of a large sword, heavy sword. To anybody else, it would have looked cumbersome. He handled it easily as he hefted it and test it with a swing. "What are we up against?"

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Within her mind, a map of the area formed. From what she could tell, six powerful enemy signatures were within the village. A seventh was hiding somewhere in the vast forest surrounding the village, but she couldn't fix his position. She screwed her face in concentration. No, was there an eighth? She couldn't tell for sure.

As Isaribi and Sasame returned somberly, she revealed her observations. "I think we should concentrate on those within the village. There are six powerful opponents, but they share the same chakra signature. I'll have to get closer to give a more detailed description, so I think it's obvious that we need to proceed with caution." She turned to the teens. "What did you girls find out?"

Sasame answered heavyhearted. "Most of them are alive, but several died from sever chakra exhaustion. I think some died from animal attacks, but I can't be certain without a more thorough examination." She wasn't surprised to see the red-headed kunoichi recoil from hearing chakra exhaustion.

"Well…" Kanaeru started. "…they weren't just regular soldiers." She studied the field for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "It's time to move out. We can't worry about them right now. As callous as it might sound, we have bigger fish to fry." She paused to study the teens' faces; she knew where Gayt stood. "We must help repel invaders!"

* * *

Kakashi curiously watched as Tendou attempted to withdraw. He avoided a massive swing from Chouza without using _Shinra Tensei_. The overbalanced giant barely managed to right himself, so he didn't plant face first into the ground in front of him. He cartwheeled over yet another shadow bind attempt.

His eyes widened at the implications. Thinking the powerful opponent might be trying to tactically withdraw, he concentrated on his Sharingan and morphed into the Mangekyou. Before he could concentrate on _Kamui_, Shuradou interjected between them. Losing sight of his intended target, he concentrated on the explosive body.

In an instant, Shuradou was permanently without a head. The sudden and irreversible loss of the body sent obvious feedback on the other bodies, as they recoiled and concentrated glares on him. He fell to his knees in exhaustion, covering his chakra-wasting eye.

His vision blurred as Gakidou rushed him, but Chouza stepped between them and threw the chakra-absorbing beast away. Tendou was out of sight before they could figure out where he was going; let alone what his plan might be. He was breathing hard as he forced his muscles to cooperate, and he was soon on his feet.

He looked to either side as Shikaku and Gai surrounded him. The former spoke up first. "What's the plan, huh? They didn't seem to like you extinguishing that creepy one this time, and we hadn't noticed any limits on revival before. What's so different this time?" It was the first possible weakness they had seen in the revival ability, but they had no solid evidence.

Kakashi panted in answer. "If they need every part of the body to revive it, they might not be able to with part of his body wiped from existence." He watched the body for a moment as Chouza bull rushed Gakidou. "I don't have any evidence, but the body's not fading away this time."

Chouza's body flew over them, and they were forced to stare down the chubby, chakra-absorbing body. Alone, he was difficult, but they had a better chance against him while he was alone. They prepared to rush forward.

"What?!" They stopped in their tracks when they heard Tsunade through Katsuyu's network. A moment later, Gakidou was gone. Elsewhere, Chikushoudou and Jigokudou vanished from where they were. Only Ningendou remained where he was, facing off against one last group of Hyuuga, Akimichi, and Yamanaka.

* * *

Tendou stood before Tsunade, Rikka, Shikamaru, and Bull and his ANBU squad. He stood confidently as he stared down the last, remaining sannin. Elsewhere, all remaining bodies but Ningendou gathered. He knew appearing before the slug sannin was a bold move, but he knew it wasn't stupid maneuver.

He was stronger than her, and she had been forced to aid in the rescue and relief effort. He wasn't fighting and delivering Pein to all shinobi in the village for no reason. It wasn't just revenge, and it wasn't simply to interrogate them. He knew most of them knew little to nothing about Naruto's whereabouts. No, his true intentions were to physically and mentally harm Tsunade.

Her last remaining friend, Jiraiya, had died by his hands. A large portion of Konoha's shinobi was dead, and a larger portion was injured. He looked at her empty forehead and knew he had gained at least one victory. He looked into her eyes and saw what he was looking for. "You know true pain, but your Pein isn't deep enough. Tell me Hokage, where is the Kyuubi."

He was aiming to strike a nerve, and he struck it hard. Tsunade clenched and unclenched her fists as she fought to keep her composure. She couldn't engage him without endangering her shinobi. "Go curl up in a grave and die!" She felt the hatred boil up in her. _He_ had taken Jiraiya from Naruto, from her!

Tendou tilted his head to one side. "I'm afraid you're a bit late. I already _have_ curled up in a grave and died. Several times, in fact." His tone was serious. "I'll only ask one more time, Hokage. Where is the Kyuubi?"

Her lips curled into a wicked smile. "You're too late! Naruto's already escaped your grasp. He _finally_ listened to me and ran off to save himself. The brat finally realized it was for the best because, if he stayed, he'd only endanger the village." She hoped he'd buy her bluff.

He didn't fall for it as he shook his head and looked directly at the pale child. "Hokage, bringing an innocent child to the battlefield? This is no place for such an innocent." He looked directly at the Fifth. "Do I need to kill her to make you experience deeper pain?" Her expression hardened. "I see. Then I'll destroy this village you hold so dear."

An instant before the ANBU could respond, he was gone. Their knees nearly buckled before Bull turned to Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, are you okay?" He cursed his luck. ANBU were highly trained to deal with genjutsu and bloodlust, but they were still frozen by Tendou's presence. No, they were frozen because he just didn't feel like fighting and had just held them off.

The buxom blond nodded her head. "Somehow…" She caught a toad out of the corner of her eye and sighed. "He didn't believe me when I said Naruto ran…not that I expected him to." She faced Bull directly. "How many and how quickly can you have squads mobilized and ready to move out?"

He nodded his head. "Just say the word, a-…" His words caught in his throat as they looked up to a massive collection of chakra in the air. The scale was far larger than it had been over the Hyuuga estates, and the oppressive feeling paralyzed even the slug sannin. Tendou's words made perfect sense as they looked upon horror given form.

He meant to tear a deep, irrevocable gash in their hearts. He meant to fill them with pain and, by extension, fear and hatred. They had to wonder if there really was anything they could do to stop the force of nature known as Pein Rikudou.

* * *

Rushing past Tsunade, a toad recognized the buxom blond as Konoha's Fifth. He didn't have time for pleasantries, however. He had a job to perform. He had one scroll left in hand, and things were getting tenser by the moment. He knew the small contingent of toads sent ahead could do nothing to help Konoha on their own. They needed to make the temporary anchor to summon a more substantial army.

He set the scroll down before stabbing his palm. Wiping blood on the parchment, he started the short ceremony. He erased all other thoughts from his mind, but he couldn't stop feeling worried about the large accumulation of chakra just over the village. It was the most oppressive feeling he'd ever had the displeasure of enduring.

He had to endure it, however, same as his other two companions. The temporary array of six glyphs was almost ready. He felt each point as intimately as the parchment he focused his chakra into. Invisible lines connected the glyphs in a complex array of seals and connecting lines.

As the anchor solidified, the oppressive chakra grew in size and power. The sounds of battle had long since ceased. Shinobi scrambled in the streets to evacuate injured and valuable support crews, like medics. They were all running out of time.

If the technique was released before the anchor could be completed, at least two points would be obliterated. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't find another anchor point. It took somebody of far greater skill to plant temporary glyphs where there were none to begin with, and it was too late to move anyway.

Their eyes went wide as the anchor pulsed and solidified. The three toads wiped their brows almost simultaneously despite being unable to see one another. In a massive plume of chakra smoke, Naruto and the most powerful toads were reverse summoned to Konoha's center.

Naruto looked around expectantly. Though the village was damaged, he was glad to see it wasn't in ruins. He breathed a sigh of relief before the chakra smoke cleared enough for him to plainly make out the taint of bloodlust-soaked chakra. He looked to the sky in horror as a massive _Shinra Tensei_ neared completion.

It seemed to shift in the sky, and the blond genin could tell it had moved very slightly, a short distance from him. He planted feet and concentrated chakra, but it exploded before he could move anywhere. The lines of horror deepened on his face as he watched the oppressive chakra carve into his beloved city below.

He felt life at the epicenter snuff out completely. His senjutsu enhanced senses screamed at the massive death he witnessed. As if they were mere candles, Pein Rikudou had decided so many lives were useless. He had decided that the village buildings and center was no more than an eyesore.

Before the battle could even start between toads and their summoner and the enemies they sought, three toads died from the recoil on the anchor array. They were thrown back from the point they occupied, and the array collapsed as if it had never existed. The glyphs burst in a spectacular expulsion of chakra.

Naruto set his hard eyes on where he felt Pein's chakra. The dark lines highlighting his eyes showed he was using senjutsu, but the lines highlighting his face showed his unadulterated anger. He forced chakra to his feet and rushed in the direction Pein was waiting.

As he rushed forward, he focused on locating his precious people. He felt them scattered about, but he could count most of them. He worried about those extremely low on chakra, but he couldn't afford hesitation. He narrowed his eyes as he felt Kakashi. He was no genius, but his chakra signature seemed low enough to be fatal.

He took a calming breath when he noticed Hinata's chakra. She was definitely alive and with friends. He also felt two chakra signatures he didn't quite recognized, but he'd worry about it later. He was more concerned with the toads following him and Pein Rikudou ahead of him.

* * *

Yay, the manga introduces something _new_ to gripe about. I was tempted to write up a omake just to complain and submit this chapter late, but decided against it. Seriously, think about this. Danzo convinces Fire-daimyo to promote him to Hokage because the Third's ideals and student taught Nagato how to fight like a ninja, but nobody speaks up about how Danzo's deceitfulness and _traitorous actions_ created Pein? _Everybody_ in Konoha heard the story from Katsuyu and recognizes Naruto as a hero. Now, it's not mysterious that Danzo became Hokage or was plotting to be. It's mysterious how Fire-daimyo made the decision without listening to one of the most intelligent clan heads in the village! He obviously values the council's opinion if he's going to call them together, and there are a lot of other concerns.

Think further on this. The Fire-daimyo's court is separate from the affairs of Konoha (cannon established) which explains the need for jonin to come to a vote on the finality of who the Sixth is. _However_, that also implies that some sort of vote or at least political showdown is going to occur in council to determine who gets to be seated. The entire chapter shows a general lack of knowledge or at least insight on fanbase intelligence. Ugh! Sadly, it killed a lot of my spirit to write some of the characters, so I'm afraid this chapter wasn't nearly as good as I had originally planned.

On to more serious matters, this is pretty much the entrance I was planning for Naruto. Kanaeru...not so much. Her return diverged the most from my original plans, not as epic.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,046  
Story Page Count: 17.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Tsukuyomi - God of the Moon_: A powerful genjutsu utilized by the Mangekyou Sharingan to inflict severe mental trauma.

_Kamui - God's Majesty_: A powerful doujutsu utilized by the Mangekyou Sharingan to void whatever the user targets.


	26. Omake 2

Omake 2

"Wah! We haven't gotten much screen time, and author-san calls us in for this?!" Matsuri cried indignantly. She folded her hands in a prayer-like gesture and gave puppy eyes to the camera. "Pwease author-san, give us more time with the audience!"

"Please calm down. Author-san is only trying to move the story along." Gaara calmly replied. Then, his eyes turned cold and tone menacing. "Isn't that right, author-san? We'll have plenty of time to help my friend."

A lazy sigh caught their attention, and they looked up to see…a surprisingly Naruto-like blond. They gasped as he put a finger over his mouth to shush them. "Now then, isn't there a reason author-san called you guys to do this omake thing?"

Matsuri pouted and grumbled, but she complied. "Well, I _did_ want to answer a question from last time. Gaara and I went off to ma-mmph!" Her eyes widened as she followed the arm of sand to her beloved. Then, she frowned as she controlled sand to break his technique. "What was that for?!"

Gaara kept his impassive expression on the camera. "We aren't here to answer those questions, and they are inappropriate anyway. We are here to apologize profusely for author-san." They both bowed to the camera…

…but the blond man spoke. He rubbed his nose as he closed his eyes. "As much as it pains him, he wants to make sure you guys have as good a chapter as possible to read. With his vacation coming up, he was worked to the bone at work. He was so tired that when he looked at what he had written (and how terrible it was) he knew he wouldn't be done in time."

Gaara nodded. "However, it will be done next week despite his vacation. The family reunion was canceled, but he needs to get his domicile cleaned for important, if small, guests."

Matsuri smiled widely. "He's gonna be baby-sitting!" She paused and pushed her chin with a finger. "Well, somebody in his household will, but he'll be happy to see the two little girls!"

The blond nodded. "Yes, yes, but he has made a promise. Over the next few chapters, there will be some epic scenes. Let's see, he's promised that [censored]…."

A scrambled window moved to one corner, and Shikamaru appeared sitting next Temari. He started with his usual lazy drawl and roll of the eyes. "Well, author-san was so distracted from listening to Mark Schultz that he almost didn't notice the little slip."

Temari slapped him upside the head. "That's not what we're supposed to say!" She bowed apologetically. "We're sorry for the interruption and will be returning to our irregularly scheduled program shortly."

Shikamaru sighed and eyed her warily. "Troublesome woman..." He received another slap as the static stopped and took over the scene, returning Gaara, Matsuri, and the blond man.

"… [censored]. Then, _pow_, it'll be awesome!" He punched the air excitedly as he looked around the studio. He noticed the odd glares he was receiving and looked to a piece of cardboard being waved angrily around. "Oh… I wasn't supposed to say that?" He rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Sorry, sorry…"

Gaara and Matsuri looked at each other and shared the same, exasperated thought. _"He's not sorry at all…"_

"Anyway…" Gaara stared, getting back to business. "As you can tell, author-san didn't want his audience to worry. He's working hard on _The Path We Walk_ and his other amazing stories."

Matsuri nodded enthusiastically. "He also is working hard on scenes for the next few chapters to make them as suspenseful as possible. He has a few scenes that he wants to get just right, and he can't do it when he's as tired as he is now."

The blond rubbed his nose with a wide grin. "I hope I get to see some screen time! Anyway…" The scene started fading black with a big, red [censored] sign coming. "Hey! I'm not going to say anything!"

Gaara and Matsuri each felt a cold sweat as everything returned to normal. It would seem 'author-san' didn't want to take any chances.

The blond continued to glare angrily until the scene was completely back to normal, at which point a wide grin retook his face. "I hope you guys can forgive author-san. He's dead tired, and it didn't help that something happened to make his already hard schedule worse. He's also a senior in college this year, so, unfortunately, he may be more distracted than usual."

The three bowed as the camera panned out to reveal the entire cannon and 'author-san' original cast, even dead characters, bowing apologetically. "We are immensely sorry!"

* * *

I really shouldn't mention work while listening to _Running Just to Catch Myself_ by Mark Schultz... "I'm overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. It's just the burden of being middle-class and educated." The song is freaking hilarious!

Anyway, I'm really sorry. Though I'm happy that I am a senior this year (Yay!), I'm still at a dead-end job trying to survive. My car breaks down, and only my savings (cries) saves me. Plus, I have to work pretty much four days in a row all day long... Ugh!

My readership needn't worry about my next update. It'll be up on Monday July 13 instead of tomorrow. My family reunion got canceled for reasons I won't discuss, but I have to prepare the house for two little cuties that I've missed baby-sitting. Yays! Anyway, look forward to next week's update for sure!


	27. Chapter 24: Determination, Fire, Spirit

TimeShifter: Jiraiya's just _that_ good! Besides, it has several hidden messages to help Konoha...not that he cares. Anyway, Rikka is actually the author's version of the ensemble dark horse. I'll explain later... As for Danzo, I'm on my fifth or sixth rewrite on my outline on ideas for him because I do _not_ want to seem to be copying the manga...and the latest chapter isn't helping. As I said previously, I am trying to take Pein out of god-mode territory. I like how it's turned out so far, but I will say I will keep cannon introduced powers. The thing that shifted in the sky was the attack Tendou was generating. He needed to move it just enough not to harm Naruto too much. I'll explain the glyphs in more detail in the bottom section.

samueltm2: Rikka might not be able to fight, but she has other skills. Yep, Naruto is finally back.

Valdimarian: Well, Rikka _does_ have the advantage of a psychic network link, and Katsuyu is just communicating with herself. Makes things a little easy. I do agree on the points you made. I think fans would be happy to just know what's going on.

yes man: Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter 24:  
Determination, Fire, Spirit  
**

Temari gingerly sipped a cup of hot green tea. She enjoyed stopping at a relaxing stop. Though she was on her way home, she was in no real hurry. The files Konoha had to share on Akatsuki were safely packed away, and she was only about two and a half days travel from Suna anyway. She had no reason to travel full tilt.

She heard the owner, a kindly old lady, set something next to her. She looked down to see a plate with three sticks of three dango each. They were covered in the house's sticky sauce, and she smiled widely as she graciously accepted the food. She chomped on the first sweat treat and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor.

As she prepared to take the second treat, the wind seemed to change direction. She blinked for a moment. The air felt different somehow. She shrugged it off as she pulled the second dango off its stick. Throat demanding liquid to wash the pasty down, she picked up her tea cup.

She released a satisfied sigh and was about to put the cup back down when she noticed something. She frowned as she realized a tiny fissure running from the tip where she sipped and continuing down halfway, forking erratically. She felt her lip; a tiny dribble of crimson came away with her hand.

She stood furiously. "I am _not_ superstitious!" The old lady looked at her worriedly as her attention returned to Konoha. "I'm not…" She grabbed her fan and threw down some money, more than enough to pay for the partially eaten snack. "I'm sorry! It was really delicious!"

She swept her fan and molded her chakra. In an instant, she was floating the air currents at top speed. The last time she demanded to the heavens that she wasn't superstitious was when her brother died. Sure, he was brought back from the dead by an old lady's foolish technique, but he had died nonetheless.

She wore a worried expression as she found a reason to move at top speed. She could only hope she was wrong or not too late.

* * *

Hiashi calmly sipped a cup of green tea as he listened to the negotiation between his counterpart from Iwa and one of the merchants of Suna. He eyed his younger daughter, Hanabi, before returning his attention to the negotiating table. Though outwardly he appeared fine, he imagined he was inwardly in as much turmoil as the young genin.

She was not normally fidgety, and her entire body had shaken a moment ago. He didn't know why, but they were feeling anxious about something. Hyuuga, however, were accustomed to hiding their emotional states. He doubted the other two had even noticed her momentary weakness.

"Ah, that'll do just nicely." He looked to Shoka as he spoke up. He was an amiable enough man to get along with, and the Hyuuga head remembered on Shoka Yuri from years ago. The Iwa business man then turned and slid the paper across the table. "What do you think, Hyuuga-sama?"

Hiashi politely placed his cup on the table before picking up the document. He scanned through the terms, especially those dealing with trade differences. Wind was interested in trade deals outside of Fire, other allies, and neutral countries. A trade deal with Earth was a big step.

Interestingly, it benefited Konoha and Fire as well. He felt the positive of added trade deals far outweighed the small losses in Wind. However, he also knew trade deals with bitter enemies, like Iwa, wasn't guaranteed to alleviate tensions. Their leaders could be interested in peace and pursuing it all they wanted. There was still animosity in the minds and hearts of the people.

He nodded his approval and handed the paper back across the table. Shoka smirked, pleased at his work. The merchant greedily rubbed his hands. The new trade deal ensured he could reap huge profits. He was already imagining how he could expand his business front and hire new workers.

Hiashi eyed his daughter once more. They still had a long day ahead of them.

* * *

Kanaeru, Gayt and Star, Sasame, and Isaribi rushed through the village gates a moment before a powerful chakra light up the sky. Considering it was past midmorning, the light from the compressed ball hovering above the streets was intense. They stopped in their tracks, and the kunoichi were wide-eyed.

Gayt managed to maintain his composure as he couldn't sense the chakra. He rushed forward as he realized how much danger everybody was in. As the ball of compressed chakra imploded and crashed into the village, he stood between the outer rim of the energy and his charge.

The energy washed over him, and he was impacted by shockwave and debris. He groaned in pain as he fell backward, too heavy for the others to catch or lighten his fall. Star flashed frantically around him, yellow with concern. He waved the kunoichi off as they approached. "Kanaeru-sama, our assistance is required."

She nodded her agreement. "Sasame, see to any injured you can find. Isaribi, try to find what information you can and report it if possible." She looked towards the center of the city. A powerful person…no, group of people were starting to gather, and Naruto was heading towards them. "I'm gonna see about helping Naru-chan."

Sasame and Isaribi nodded before dispersing to their tasks. She could count on them to perform their duties. They were, after all, loyal to Konoha. As she strode forward, she stopped next to her armored escort. "You okay to move?"

It took a moment, but he was soon on his feet. Star flashed joyous blue that he was all right before her red anger boiled over towards that hurt him. Once he collected, he nodded. They were moving even before he answered. "I am at your service, Kanaeru-sama."

Without warning, they increased their pace. Though the ruined streets swept past them, they managed to make out a few details. The impact to the city was too much to describe. Kanaeru's eyes hardened as they moved forward, and Star's reddish tint darkened with every heavy thud of Gayt's armored feet against the gravel and debris.

* * *

A piece of a wall shifted and groaned before finally being kicked off. From a dark hole in the ground, Lee, Neji, and Tenten emerged. They were all worse for wear, hardly in any condition to fight. They looked around at the massive destruction caused by the last blast. They could already hear weary moaning as any living person slowly roused.

"Neji…" Tenten practically coughed his name. "Can you see what's going on?" Her voice was ruff as her throat was dry and lined with dust. She broke into a fit of coughs as her body tried to expel the foreign objects.

The Hyuuga prodigy closed his eyes. For a few long seconds, he concentrated on his chakra before arriving at a decision. "No, I don't have enough chakra." He looked at his teammates. Tenten held her arm awkwardly, and Lee gingerly rubbed his ribs. He made a command decision. "We rest first; then we see about helping out."

The other members of Team Gai couldn't disagree. As long as the mad summoning woman, as they would remember her, wasn't sending hordes of creatures after them, they had a chance to catch their collective breaths and recuperate. They didn't want to use soldier pills unless they had to; natural recovery was best.

* * *

Ningendou landed in front of three exhausted teens and the two they carried. He looked over each in turn and almost sighed in resignation. "You three were clever. To thin, you used so much chakra just to distract me. It's too bad I don't have time for your silly games, or I'd hunt you down and end this chase."

An instant later, he vanished to return to surviving members of the Pein Rikudou. The five he left behind were still in their fighting stances, panting profusely. They were partially reverted to their base elements. After a moment, they stood erect and held their hands in a cross seal. They dispersed into the elements, mission accomplished.

* * *

"Shannaro!" A particularly large bit of debris erupted into harmless falling rocks as a fist rocketed through it. Sakura, panting on the other side, wore a tormented expression. She was torn between righteous fury and sulking depression. Her village, her _home_, was in shambles. Everything she knew was blown away, and it was doubtless that there were casualties.

She turned around with a heavy sigh. She watched as Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon slid down the wall their backs were against. They were tired and injured, but they were otherwise fine. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she wondered what they were doing in the village. According to Katsuyu, all civilians were evacuated.

"What are you three doing out here? All genin are supposed to remain in the shelters until the crisis is over." They were rules nobody disputed. They were the last line of defense between intruders and civilians. She didn't want to think that they were disobeying orders in a misguided attempt to help their leader.

Konohamaru adamantly shook his head. "No, we have a mission to complete! There's one more, um, academy student out there. She's Yuuhi Rikka, and she somehow slipped away from our escort." He waved his hands emphatically. If there was one thing he knew, the pink-haired kunoichi had a _mean_ right hook, and she used it liberally on liars and perverts…and Naruto.

Moegi came to his defense vigorously nodding her head. "Um-hmm, um-hmm! We wouldn't lie, nii-chan." She wanted to make sure Konohamaru didn't get hit by that right hook. Neither he nor Naruto were liars; though, they did tend to stretch the truth.

Udon wiped his nose before adding his two cents. "Yuuhi-san is really worried about Yuuhi-chan." He noticed Sakura nervously scratching her cheek, but he continued unabashed. "She could be in real danger if all this is going on."

Sakura turned around, fist raised and eyes clenched. _"No good little brat! You act all high and mighty and claim you're older than Tsunade-sishou, but you run off and do this?!"_ She tried to answer through gritted teeth. "Oh, you don't have to worry about her."

They were taken aback, startled and frightened. Paying no mind, the pink-haired chunin continued. "_I'll_ be sure to handle her. You guys just go back to the shelters." She started forward, pounding a fist into an open palm. The teens behind her were scared stiff, not understanding her sudden anger and violence.

* * *

As the dust settled, Kiba and Shino lowered their arms from their faces. Akamaru looked out around his partner. They had been chasing after a shadow when a second _Shinra Tensei_. They may not have known the name of the technique, but they knew its devastating effects. It pushed like a giant wall of distorted gravity.

They didn't delay any further as they continued forward. They didn't know what to expect exactly, but they felt they had to do something. They were sure shinobi needed rescuing, but they were also worried bodies needed to be recovered.

* * *

A hand emerged from the ground, quickly followed by a wrist, forearm, and elbow. The elbow bent, and the hand took purchase on rebar sticking out of a large bit of debris. Soon, Kakashi's silver mane was revealed. He pulled himself up, ground rippling around him like water. He stopped to pant when his waist was revealed.

He strained as he hefted something with his opposite hand. After a moment of struggle, he managed to pull Chouza out of the earth. As Kakashi held onto his collar, the Akimichi head pulled two more from the ground, Gai and Shikaku. Once fully emerged, they fell flat against the ground, breathing heavily.

Kakashi was in the worst condition of them. His Sharingan eye was closed tightly, and his head lolled to once side as he fought to remain conscious. Katsuyu was fighting to keep his chakra above fatal levels. He had already exhausted himself when he used Doton to move the group underground and to safety. Doton was his weakest element.

Shikaku, Chouza, and Gai finally recovered enough to stand and walked to their comrade's side. The Nara and Akimichi heads took a seat to either side of Konoha's legendary technique expert. Gai remained standing at his feet. It was sobering to think the elite jonin was in such rough shape. They couldn't begin to imagine what Tsunade was going through, healing and energizing whoever she could through Katsuyu.

They felt an immense presence and looked up to see what it was. They easily made out the silhouettes of the remaining Pein Rikudou. Opposite him, they saw a smaller silhouette hidden by three large toads. If they could see better, they might have seen the five other toads between the giant toads and human.

Though they all suspected, Shikaku was the first to recognize who stood among the group of toad summons. They barely caught a glimpse of golden hair as light shimmered through the shadows and dust before the scarred Nara spoke. "Well, it's better late than never. Good job, kid."

* * *

Hinata, Chouji, and Ino fell to their knees panting immediately after the powerful energy washed over them. Chouji managed to find a spot to set Shion down before fully collapsing. He looked to Hinata, still holding tightly yet tenderly to Momiji, then Ino. They were exhausted. It didn't help that they 'overloaded' their elemental clones to put more distance between them.

According to Katsuyu, it was safer for them to make it to the Hokage tower. The option seemed less likely since it was at the center of the blast, but they knew Tsunade was still alive because her summon hadn't disappeared. It was a bit of good news, at least.

"Our _Bushin_…won't last…much…longer." Chouji said between labored breaths. Taking a deep breath, he continued without pause. "We only made them for distraction, and we managed to get as far as we did with a bit of luck."

Ino opened her mouth to disagree, but she quickly swallowed her response. They planned part of it, but it was partly dumb luck he hadn't picked them out the second time around. There were only a certain number of times a ruse like they used would work.

Hinata shakily stood. "We have to keep moving." She knew they were at their limits, but they had to get Shion and Momiji to safety. Beyond that, she wanted to see Naruto again. She had a strong feeling he was back. No, she _felt_ him. His chakra was familiar to her, and she recognized it even if it was a little different.

Ino nodded; though, she'd rather stay put and rest up. It wasn't like they were being chased anymore. "This time, let's take a slower pace. I think we lost that…_thing_ with our last diversion." She looked to Chouji. "You ready to go?"

He nodded and expanded his arms. As soon as he picked up the daimyo priestess of Demons, they took off. They kept a pace they felt was manageable with their chakra levels, and they hoped they came across some chunin and/or jonin to help defend the foreign dignitaries.

* * *

Though the Valley of the End was far to one side, Sasuke knew exactly where he was. Even at full speed, it would be some time before they arrived in Konoha. He had no interest in saving the village from its fate, but it was important to hurry and save everything necessary to revive his clan.

Before he could continue contemplating, Hawk was forced to come to a stop as a swirl of chakra appeared out of nowhere. He narrowed his eyes, recognizing who it was. As Madara's form coalesced, he tentatively shot out a modified _Chidori_. Even though the ancient Uchiha should have had no time to react, it simply passed through his body.

The unscathed elder amusedly chuckled. "Is that anyway to treat an ancestor, Sasuke-kun?" He patted the area the attack passed through as if to rid his cloak of some unseen particles. It was a play to scorn the last Uchiha scion.

For his part, Sasuke didn't react. He carefully communicated a question to Karin. Her response was quick and precise. As he suspected, she hadn't sensed him coming. He had simply _appeared_ there. It really was an annoying attribute.

Madara tilted his head to one side as he watched Hawk's antics. They really were quite cute when frustrated. They couldn't figure out how he remained unharmed. Though he enjoyed tormenting them, they had serious business to discuss. "Tell me Sasuke-kun, what are you doing in Fire?"

Sasuke glared at the masked man. "I captured the Hachibi for you. It's a fair trade for the information you gave me. I'm on my way to deliver justice to the elders and council of Konoha. I'm through with Akatsuki." His glower only intensified when his words were shrugged off with a chuckle.

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I thought I heard you say you captured the Hachibi." Madara's tone changed from mirthful to venomous in an instant. "You honestly thought that _thing_ was the Hachibi?! You failed, Sasuke. If you ever hope to repay your debt to me, you'll capture the _real_ Hachibi."

As the two Uchiha had a glower contest, Karin spoke up. "What are you talking about?! Kira Bii matched the description! He was a jinchuuriki, and the contained spirit was a bull with eight tails."

Suigetsu glared at Hawk's healer and tracker before returning his attention to the ancient warrior. The masked Uchiha knew how to get under their skin. He was just toying with them. Still, he was not amused by the accusation. "We hunted down information on the jinchuuriki and even took what little you had to offer us. Either he escaped you once we handed him over, or your information was wrong."

Madara turned his attention to the shark-like man. His Sharingan spun dangerously as he contemplated killing him for the insult. After a moment, he tossed the idea aside in favor of sharing information. After all, he still needed the Hachibi and Kyuubi if he were to control the great weapon.

He raised a finger and wagged it mockingly. His voice held a chiding edge. "We didn't lose that pitiful thing. We started the extraction process only for it to halt for the strangest of reasons. What you handed over was one of the tails with a powerful _Henge_ to make it look like Kira Bii.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the battle replayed in his mind. He didn't know how anything could have escaped his vision. Even when he was injured, he kept one eye trained on the metamorphosed jinchuuriki. The battle was still fresh in his mind, but something tugged annoyingly in his memories.

Madara chimed in amusedly. "The Hachibi is a bull yes, but its eight tails are those of a bull as well." Sasuke's eyes shot open with a renewed glower. "The tail that dropped out of the extraction was a _tentacle_. So while Kira Bii appeared to be the jinchuuriki of the Hachibi, he held a lesser creature."

Karin crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Wait, hold on…" She lowered her arms to her side as she tried to gather information. "You mean it wasn't the Hachibi no Gyuuki but the Hachibi no Ushi? I thought the bijuu were demons…" She trailed off as she wondered what the answer might be, let alone mean.

Madara scoffed. "That's like asking if it's Kyuubi no Youko or Kyuubi no Kitsune." He turned to face the red-headed kunoichi. "It doesn't really matter what they are. They are our enemies, but they do have a use." They just didn't have the use he kept telling Nagato about. _"It's so fun to play with pawns."_

Sasuke lowered his gaze. If he didn't think quickly, all the bijuu were going to fall into the ancient Uchiha's hands. It didn't matter once his own plans had succeeded, but he needed one of the jinchuuriki alive for at least the short term. He returned his gaze to his elder with a fierce determination. "Call off Pein." He accentuated every syllable.

Madara faced the last scion of his clan unflinchingly. "That was an interesting request. Why should I order Pein to retreat when he's so close to capturing the Kyuubi?" He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "No, no, I think not. I'll accomplish my goals, then you can skitter about to do whatever it is you want."

Sasuke's resolve hardened. "I'm not interfering with your plans." He paused to watch his elder laugh mockingly. "I _am_ asking you to delay them." _Those_ words caught the masked man's attention. Sensing the change in demeanor, Hawk was quickly on guard.

Madara gave them a scornful look, but he did not attack. "You, little whelp, think to ask _me_ to delay my plans? You have the _gall_ to think your plans more important than mine?" He chuckled darkly. "I've been plotting and scheming for over a hundred years, boy. I will not be stopped."

In response, Sasuke shook his head. "No, I never asked you to. However, my plans will be made more difficult or impossible once a particular step in yours has been accomplished." He seemed to have his elder's attention, so he continued. "Uzumaki Naruto will usher in, or at least help usher in, a new line of Uchiha."

Madara felt rage boil up inside of him. "That's presumptuous of you. You assume much, boy. What makes you think I'd let you revive my treasonous family? The fought the Senju so hard for so long, even before my birth or formation of the Uchiha clan. When we finally partnered with them to form Konoha, they pushed us aside to pursue _their_ ideals!"

Sasuke raised a brow. "Who said anything about reviving your treasonous family?"

"What?!" Madara shook.

Sasuke fought a smirk. "_I_ am the last descendent of the Uchiha who betrayed you, and I'm sure you'll still find a use for any heirs I leave. Uzumaki, however, is not descendent of our clan. With the help of…somebody I've screened, he can give rise to a new line of Uchiha. You can think of it as a fresh start."

Madara stopped to consider his descendant's words for a moment. He scratched his chin in careful thought. "What you say _does_ hold some promise. I cannot deny how…interesting it would be to revive the Uchiha anew." He paused and looked over his shoulder. He seemed to be contemplating something as he asked something offhanded. "Who is it you screened?"

Sasuke glared. He had a feeling the question would come up, but he was hoping to avoid it. He wasn't sure how his ancestor would react. Even if negatively, he actually had two candidates. Spiriting one away wasn't a problem, but he preferred to keep things as easy as possible. Still, he couldn't delay. "Hyuuga Hinata is the best candidate I've found."

"Best, but not only?" Madara was amused to see the younger Uchiha instinctively reach for his weapon. "Well, well, it is most certainly an _interesting_ development." He tapped his chin. "The clan records don't indicate who our ancestors might be, but most agreed we were _definitely_ somehow related to the Hyuuga. You think some no-name from an unknown clan might be related?"

Sasuke nodded to Karin, who answered. "'think' is the wrong term. No, I _know_ Uzumaki Naruto carries the necessary genetic characteristics to evolve the Byakugan into the Sharingan." It was generally accepted by Hawk that the Sharingan was an evolution, and she was certain the ancient Uchiha would appreciate the distinction.

"You still seek revenge on the elders of the village?" Madara brought the question out of nowhere. He watched smugly as they fought to regain their composure, and Sasuke's silent nod was the only answer he needed. "Good, then shut up and watch."

"Call off Pein!" Sasuke practically yelled. He didn't like raising his voice. He was used to projecting a fearsome presence. Most cowered in his wake, but nothing seemed to faze his ancestor. It was most definitely unnerving.

Madara merely chuckled. "Don't worry; you can't get there in time." Before the retort could come, he held up his hand and continued. "Sit back and watch. We'll continue our talk once we see the outcome. If I'm feeling generous, I might give you just enough time to attempt reviving the Uchiha with a fresh line from Uzumaki Naruto."

Either way, he was sure to be amused. Nagato was no opponent to take lightly. He was strong, and his Pein Rikudou provided an intense challenge. In the entire siege on Konoha, the shinobi forces had only managed to permanently incapacitate one. Jiraiya had done much the same, and _he_ was alone.

Naruto had just arrived, and he was already displaying something Madara had never dreamed. He was completely suppressing the Kyuubi's chakra, and he was using some strange energy. Whatever it was, it felt similar to what Jiraiya used to battle the Pein Rikudou, and it surrounded him tighter.

The battle was going to be interesting, to say the least. Madara wanted to witness it from a safe distance. Then, and only then, would he consider listening to Sasuke's request. Hawk seemed to realize any further arguments would be futile. They settled in to observe the battle, but only Sasuke and Karin could clearly sense what was going on.

Still, Karin's powerful chakra sense proved invaluable once again. "Sasuke-kun, there's something weird about Naruto's chakra." Every member of Hawk locked their gazes on her. Madara seemed uninterested, but he paid careful attention. "I can't really describe it, but it's like…" She paused to collect her thoughts. "…he's gathering energy from the land around him."

Even to the ancient Uchiha, the statement didn't make any sense, yet it validated what the Sharingan was showing the last survivors of the Uchiha clan. They doubted it was a kekkei genkai, but they couldn't see through the technique; they couldn't copy it. They, however, decided to ignore it in favor of watching the impending battle.

* * *

As they made their way through rubble of the streets, they were forced to slow down. Chouji was having trouble keeping his family technique going while carrying Shion. Neither Hinata nor Ino had his level of reserves, so they were feeling extremely tired. They nearly stumbled when they heard debris slide, and they couldn't get into battle ready stances quickly enough.

They let out a sigh of relief when it proved unnecessary. A single ANBU was walking towards them. Her hawk-shaped mask was cracked, and her clothes were torn and dirty. Her raven black hair was loosed from its hiding place, and she had a hand to her abdomen where blood was drying.

Upon seeing their concerned expressions, she held up her free hand. "I'm fine, just a scratch." To a less prepared shinobi, it would have been a fatal would. Without a blood replenishing pill, she would have bled to death. As it was, she was in pain, but it was manageable. The wound was already closing up. It helped that she knew some medical techniques.

She looked over the weary chunin and reached into her equipment pouch. She extracted three small, round pills. They looked like soldier pills, but there was something off about them. She handed them two each. "Eat these. You'll need your strength." As they bit down, she relieved Chouji of the daimyo priestess. "Looks like you guys had a rough time."

Hinata nodded and swallowed. The pills were bitterer than normal soldier pills, but she felt her chakra reserves returning quicker than normal. Her tired and aching body shuddered with relief, and her muscles felt less sore. After a sigh of relief, she elaborated.

"We were attacked by one of the bodies. He was persistent following us." She paused with a shiver. "He also looked disgusting. His chakra was messed up, and I couldn't really tell if he was dead or alive. For whatever reason, he seemed intent on capturing or killing us. We expended a lot of chakra creating _Bushin_ to distract him, but we were on the verge of chakra exhaustion until you showed up."

Hawk nodded. "I could tell." She looked at the visiting dignitary and her daughter, still hitching a ride on Hinata's back. "You did a good job defending our allies from Demons, but why are you heading this way with them? I was under the impression all civilians and VIPs were to be escorted to the Hokage monument."

Chouji nodded. "We were heading there, but Hokage-sama said it would be best for us to turn around and head towards the tower and ANBU headquarters. After all if they're intent on following us, we'd never make it to the shelters in time."

Hawk nodded. "I understand. I'll escort you the rest of the way to Hokage-sama." With Katsuyu on her shoulder, she knew exactly where Tsunade was. All ANBU did. Hinata, Chouji, and Ino may have been ordered to the tower and/or ANBU headquarters, but they might not know about the tower's destruction.

Their reserves restored, they kept the pace their ANBU escort set. Shion and Momiji were still slumbering soundly. They were glad for that fact. They weren't sure how they'd handle the destruction around them. They continued in silence for over half the remaining distance to the tower, but it wasn't really comfortable.

All around them were medics tending to the wounded. Whenever Ino looked to them and asked if they needed help, they waved her past. They were all worried about the city center. Medics were likely most needed there. It was a terrible and heart-wrenching sight for them. Their home was in tatters, and their people were suffering. It was hard for the young, war-ignorant shinobi to grasp.

Upon arriving where Tsunade was with Shikamaru and Rikka, they saw Naruto staring down Pein Rikudou. He was alone against that terrible force. He stood confident and proud. His voice never wavered as he argued, and neither side was about to back down. With words alone, they seemed to be at each others throats. However, it was no new experience to them to hear the blond genin speak with such passionate words.

Ino watched with awe for a moment before she tapped Hinata on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "So, when you gonna tell him?" The shy heir gasped and looked over her shoulder into her friend's eyes. "He's out there fighting, and we really never know when we're going to die in this line of work."

Hinata bowed her head to Ino's serious words. She hated to admit the words rang true. "I-I already told him." She spoke adamantly; though, she doubted the truth to her words. A small doubt building inside her was that Naruto either hadn't heard or understood. He was Konoha's number one knuckleheaded ninja.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Oh, when are you going to come off it? That was a _dream_ for goodness sake!" She rested a hand on her him. "Listen, I've gotta go see about the injured here, but think about this. What do you think a guy likes more, hearing something in the _real world_ or where it can be written off as the imaginings of a dream?"

Before Hinata could give a reply, Ino was running off. She didn't want to answer out loud, so she silently slid to the ground and positioned Momiji to as restful a position as she could. She interlaced her hands in contemplative prayer, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

Ino was right, of course. She could admit that much to herself. She had contemplated those very words before. She had confessed in a _dream_. She was fully aware of it. The dense blond had even tensed up so much that his muscles had frozen. She wondered if he had even breathed or blinked the entire time she spilled out her feelings.

She looked up when she felt the shockwave of a mighty crash. Two massive creatures were held aloft by two of the most massive _Rasengan_ she had ever seen. They were easily as tall as her crush, and they exuded such _raw_ power. She swallowed as she imagined his muscular body ripped with tension.

Naruto deserved better than the confession she gave him. He was out there fighting for the people he cared about. Perhaps speaking more to his character, he was out there fighting for people who hated and tortured him as a child. He was fighting for his dream, and he was redoubling the respect he had already earned.

The rumors spreading about Naruto were growing more interesting and positive with each passing day. Training with Jiraiya was enough to improve his reputation, and every mission since graduating the academy only amplified that training. If he was skilled enough to _help_ defeat Zabuza and be recognized with the christening of a bridge _before_ journeying with Jiraiya, one could only imagine how powerful he would be upon returning.

He had saved princesses, been proposed to no less than twice…that she knew of, and _never_ waivered in his determination. He had saved Konoha from a demon born of human hatred, and then he saved the very Kazekage he helped endear to his people. Slowly, through determination and love, he had turned the people over to his side.

Hinata watched as Naruto's toad allies jumped into battle. It was a sight to watch. They didn't approach the Pein Rikudou, but they didn't allow a single creature the female summoned near their contractor. They fought in rhythm, and they managed to balance each other out.

She felt her heart flutter. She was _definitely_ going to tell him. With her own lips, she was going to say what she only could in dreams. She didn't care if he rejected her. Like always, watching him filled her with determination and fire. She felt it well in the core of her soul. A smile etched its way onto her face. His spirit never failed to shine through.

She would watch. She would let the impact he made grow. She would always love him. She would always wait for him. He was her one and only. He was her fire, her salvation. He was the light that showed her path and ignited her will.

* * *

Naruto stepped back to take stock of the situation. The toads could easily handle any summons Pein sent out. They didn't seem to have a will of their own, so they were easy to predict. According to the report, the concentric rings in their eyes were a kekkei genkai, the Rinnegan.

They didn't know all the abilities associated with the Rinnegan. However, it did allow them to share their vision with each other. It was also likely the _real_ Pein was watching from nearby. Shikamaru had determined, after hearing how Rikka's kekkei genkai worked, that the real Pein was relaying his chakra somehow. He was, with a high probability, very high up.

With everything he knew, he still had one more theory to test out. The only unidentified body was likely the one capable of reviving. He decided to take the initiative. He signed for an elemental technique. "_Fuuton: Kazeken_!" Instead of a single blade of wind, a tendril of wind whipped out. It sent two slices of wind towards Tendou.

Still weakened, he nonetheless stood his ground. As expected, Gakidou intercepted the two blades. Without hesitation, Naruto pulled the tendril back and kicked off the chubby body. As he crashed into the lead body, the blond genin took aim at his real target. With a mischievous smirk, he molded his chakra.

He opened his hand, and the first stage of the _Rasengan_ took shape. Instead of letting it fully take shape, he forced it into the _Kazeken_ tendril. He announced his new attack as he drove it through Ningendou's chest. "_Fuuton: Rasenkei_!" Powerful chakra exploded out Ningendou's back, and he collapsed without so much as a spray of blood.

He jumped back when Gakidou and a summon beast tried to attack him. He didn't fight the smirk that grew as he basically confirmed what he wanted to. He figured Chikushoudou wouldn't attack because she was in charge of summoning, but Jigokudou was who he was interested in.

The body stayed out of the way, and he was already working on reviving the fallen Ningendou. He landed next to Fukusaku and Shima. "Hey, you notice how that one's staying out of the battle?"

They nodded, and Fukusaku spoke up. "Yeah, he did that when we fought alongside Jiraiya, too. We never got to see him revive one of the bodies, but we noticed how he never seemed to do anything but hang back."

Shima remained silent for a long moment before she spoke her mind. "We honestly thought he was spyin' for 'em or somethin'. They can all see what the others see, so it made sense."

Naruto nodded and crossed his fingers. "_Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" Two _Kage Bushin_ flanked him and he held his hand behind him. The toads noticed what he was doing and made preparations to get out of his way when the time came. He may have been able to make the regular and large versions of the _Rasengan_ by himself, but his most powerful attack still required _Kage Bushin_ to split the concentration.

Tendou watched curiously as Gakidou prepared. His hands were already in position to absorb the incoming chakra. Ningendou rose steadily, and Jigokudou remained nearby. Chikushoudou continued summoning creature after creature. Observing what they did, Nagato was curious what the blond was going to try to pull off.

As Naruto and his _Kage Bushin_ continued to mold and shape chakra, it grew denser and denser. A razor sharp edge formed and stretched outward. A loud, repetitive buzz started as a low hum but grew louder. The ball glowed with the intensity of chakra and wind trapped within the spinning sphere.

He held it aloft, and his _Kage Bushin_ rushed forward. The toads took the cue and leapt back. They formed a semicircle around him as they fended off every summon beast thrown at them. Naruto's expression was solemn as he attached himself to the powerful attack with minute chakra strings.

He cocked his arm back and swung hard forward. "_Fuuton: Rasenshuriken_!" A summon tried to intercept the _Kage Bushin_ to allow Gakidou to absorb the incoming attack. It flew and buzzed like a large shuriken cutting through air. The summon only managed to stop one _Kage Bushin_. The other slipped past its guard and locked in grapple with Gakidou.

Tendou had no other choice. Pulling on his still meager strength, he grabbed the nearest bodies and aimed open palms straight at the ground. He could only save Gakidou and Chikushoudou from certain death, but the final _Kage Bushin_ was absorbed by the chakra-eating body.

Tendou could only watch as Ningendou and Jigokudou were caught in the effective blast radius. They were swallowed by a torrent of cutting winds with no end in sight. Their Rinnegan tried to capture the details, but even the famous eyes of a self-proclaimed god couldn't compete with the shear magnitude the attack demonstrated.

It cut into the bodies countless times, and they fell to the ground useless and broken. Their chakra pathways were cut to ribbons, and their communication rods were all but shattered. Without Jigokudou, they couldn't revive any more bodies. They simply didn't have the resources to scout replacement bodies, and adjusting to replacement bodies took time. It was one of the reasons Nagato had waited over a month to attack Konoha after Jiraiya's failed mission.

Naruto wore a confident smirk as he snapped his fingers. "That got 'im!" The toads pumped a webbed foot each in the air and charged into battle again. Standing back, the blond wiped sweat from his brow. _"That took more out of me than I thought it would. I can't let my guard down yet."_

He pointedly glared at Tendou. _"That one has a powerful jutsu, and I can't just rush headlong into that. I've gotta think things through this time. I can't just summon hundreds of clones to study my opponent this time."_ He had to keep enough concentration for the two clones still under a waterfall of toad oil. He needed them for when his senjutsu wore off.

He wasn't one for holding back, though. He molded chakra and went through the appropriate hand seals for _Kazeken_ again, but he seemed to add in a few extra. "Hey Fukusaku-sensei, keep an eye on them and tell me what you learn. I'm going to go observe things first hand! _Fuuton: Daishou Rasenkei_!"

Fukusaku shook his head, and Shima palmed her face. The blond was reckless and a showoff. However, they had to admit he had a battle sense like no one else. In response to Sasuke's _Chidori_ manipulations, Naruto had developed his own for _Rasengan_. It used the free willed spirit of wind, so the form was more like a whip than the initial technique should have indicated.

He had even found a way to manipulate _Kazeken_ to stay attached to his arm. The whip-like tendril was all he needed to inspire his invention of the _Rasenkei_ and _Daishou Rasenkei_. They were powerful attacks giving Naruto superb close and mid range defense and offense. He could parry enemy attacks and lash out _at the same time_. It afforded him a powerful advantage.

Of course, Tendou and Gakidou were no slouches either. The very natures of their techniques were offensive and defensive at once. Tendou pushed an enemy or attack away, often causing some form of impact damage. Gakidou could absorb most any attack, and his touched drained shinobi dangerously.

Naruto avoided both for the moment. Gamabunta, Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara concentrated on him as soon as they saw where the blond genin was heading. Gamakichi and Gamatsu concentrated on Gakidou. They mainly kept their distance and carefully attacked with ninjutsu.

Naruto was going after Chikushoudou. With the reviver out of the way, the summoner became the priority. They could worry about dealing with the absorber and pusher in a moment. Her ability to call more summon beasts to the field was a huge problem. Worse, she seemed to call on summon beasts already killed in the heat of combat.

He lost track of how many times he or somebody else had killed that massive, multi-headed canine.

He closed in, and she desperately summoned beasts to intercept his path. He calmly and easily sliced through each hapless creature, and she still summoned hordes to stop him. He kept his gaze locked on her as the _Daishou Rasenkei_ seemed to grow in strength with each passing moment.

He was an arm stretch away, and she finally gave up. She looked at him unflinchingly as he crossed his arms in front of him with devastating effect. Her Rinnegan went dead as her body fell into four lumps on the ground. He showed no satisfaction at taking out an enemy and turned to Tendou and Gakidou.

* * *

Hinata, Chouji, and Ino expended a _lot_ of chakra to fool and continue fooling Ningendou. Hawk basically saved them.

Rikka wasn't created for the first arc. In fact, I'd have never conceived her if not for a fatal flaw in the Raiton teleportation technique. Also originally, Daikichi was just a prop; he died in a raid, end of story. It was only Yumiko, Saiga, and Basuto. However, they couldn't pull off the abduction the way I planned, so I created a 'generic physic character' and profiled said character to fit the _Naruto_ universe. Then Saiga became Yumiko and Daikichi's son. Then I had the idea for introducing kekkei genkai blends, failed ones however. At that point, I had developed Yumiko's family and attributes, and Rikka just fleshed herself out. Literally, I have no idea how exactly her image and personality spawned in my head. Also originally, all the bad guys died under a mountain collapse...due to Hinata... Yeah, that ended up not happening.

Rikka is my author's version of the ensemble dark horse because I literally just started loving how she turned out. I wrote up Hinata's abduction without thinking of Rikka at all, and a lot of the next chapter had to be rewritten or reworked because of her inclusion. I also wasn't sure if she would survive to the Pein arc. A lot of my plans changed when she decided to flesh herself out, and I don't really mind.

The glyphs last update (Chapter 23: Battle Preparation) are based loosely on magic (mana) rather than chakra. With a chakra-based summoning, the summoned is recalled or destroyed with the summoner. With magic, it's possible that the backwash will only destroy the glyphs and anything directly attached to them. As I said, it's loosely based. Naruto and the other toads were already summoned, so the glyphs and circle had fulfilled their purpose. Foreign energy was introduced and followed the already existing pathways.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,064  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

Youko versus Kitsune: A youko is a demon fox (see also Kurama of YuYu Hakusho), and a kyuubi is a fox.

Gyuuki versus Ushi: A gyuuki is a demon bull, and an ushi is a bull.

Kitsune and Ushi: I prefer the use of these not because they are cannon but because I _hate_ the ushi-oni, or gyuuki, and kitsune fits more to some future developments to my fan fiction.

_Fuuton: Rasenkei_ - _Wind Release: Spiral Whip_: _Rasenkei_ is a powerful attack combining the first stage of _Rasengan_ and elements of _Kazeken_. It ebbs and flows like a whip, but it cuts like a blade.

_Fuuton: Daishou Rasenkei_ - _Wind Release: Big and Small Spiral Whip_: _Daishou Rasenkei_ is no more powerful than _Rasenkei_, but it forms one whip attached to each arm.


	28. Chapter 25: Courage to Stand

TimeShifter: Oh, we'll certainly see how the Sharingan came into existence. I'll just, sadly, be a while. I actually don't see how Naruto would _not_ develop a variation after seeing Sasuke fight with a new _Chidori_, so I just imagined how it might be possible and used Naruto's natural battle sense. The rest of the questions are excellent, and I'll keep them in mind.

samueltm2: I'm glad you're liking the battle so far.

Bloxham: Well, he did actually learn something more than senjutsu this time around.

* * *

**Chapter 25:  
Courage to stand  
**

Nagato stared into empty space as his Rinnegan watched the devastating effects of his opponent's unusual chakra and enhanced techniques. He knew Jiraiya had used similar chakra when they fought, but his body had been disfigured by a toady face and literal toad humps on his shoulders. The Kyuubi no Kitsune's jinchuuriki was different.

Uzumaki Naruto stood before his remaining bodies with confidence. His appearance was unmarred by whatever transformation the chakra wrought. He had rings around his eyes, but they seemed to accentuate his new power. He no longer had the bearing of a bumbling buffoon his underlings had reported. Altogether, he was a fearsome opponent.

Nagato turned his attention to Konan, temporarily removing his attention from the battle at hand. "I sense new chakra within the village. Intercept them, do with them as you see fit." He didn't have to wait for her response. She politely bowed before vanishing in a swirl of paper and chakra.

He returned his attention to the battle; though, his thoughts were divided. While part of him directed the battle, another part sifted through his bodies memories. He had failed to kill the Hyuuga in his first attack, and he had failed to capture a possible lure. In the end, he decided it wasn't worth it to dwell, but something was still bothering him.

He had no idea _how_ the wielders of the Byakugan had survived. The incredible concentration of chakra had made it impossible to discern one source from another. Worse, only one body was even active when the first _Shinra Tensei_ went off. The second attack was not, however, disrupted similarly.

Reaching an impasse, he shook any thoughts of his opening gambit from his head. He had a fight to concentrate on. He was down to two bodies, but they were only made stronger for the loss. He could concentrate more chakra to each, and his mind wasn't as split. He would soon have the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and the search for the Hachibi no Ushi could continue.

* * *

"Tsunade-sishou!" Tsunade and Shikamaru looked up to see Sakura running towards them. When she was close enough for normal conversation, she stopped and placed her hands on her knees as she bent and panted. She sent an angry glower towards Rikka. "Kurenai-sensei is worried about you!"

Tsunade and Shikamaru looked to the pale girl as she responded offhandedly. "She needn't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine taking care of myself." She managed to match the intensity of the pink-haired kunoichi's stare.

Tsunade shook her head and sighed. "I'll explain everything to Kurenai later. Right now, we have more important business." She pointed past Hinata, Chouji, Shion, and Momiji standing nearby. Not far beyond them was what she was talking about. Naruto was in a life or death struggle with the Pein Rikudou.

Sakura gasped and was about to step in when something else caught her eye. She stared wide-eyed at the village's leader before sending a vehement glower to their source of agony. "Are you sure you should have done that, Tsunade-sishou?"

Suppressing the shakes of chakra exhaustion, Tsunade nodded confidently. "I'm not losing any more of my precious shinobi. If I have to sacrifice myself to ensure as many live as possible, so be it." Even with powerful pride, she couldn't stop herself from falling to all fours, eyes clenched shut in pain.

Shizune reacted near instantly. She was by her long-time friend and teacher's side before she completely collapsed. "Tsunade-sama, you shouldn't exert yourself too much! You should release Katsuyu and rest before it's too late!" She turned slightly to politely bow to the boss slug. "No offense."

Katsuyu bowed in response. "None taken. However, I speak for Tsunade when I say this." She paused for dramatic effect. "Everybody is fighting so valiantly, showing such pride and courage. The will of fire burns so brightly; it is nearly blinding. We want to see this through, and we are still needed."

"Did you hear that everybody?" Rikka nonchalantly asked through the psychic network. "Your Hokage is giving you everything she has and asking nothing in return." She turned her eyes to Naruto. "That young man is doing much the same. Are you willing to do the same in return?"

She received blank stares and stunned blinking from those near enough. She shrugged simply and tilted her head one way. "What? I'm not so heartless not to recognize the needs of the situation. Besides, Naruto liked what I had to say and has this to add."

She paused as she closed her eyes and took a breath. "I'm only asking one thing. Live." She opened her eyes and focused on everybody she could see. "You're all precious to me, not just my precious people. My friends and those who recognize me, you give me the strength I need to fight on. Believe in me; I'm going to be Hokage!"

Shikamaru chuckled and shook his head. "That idiot always steals all the good lines." He studied Tsunade for a moment before coming to a decision. "Troublesome. Well if Naruto can keep those bodies distracted, I'm sure we can send a team to find the leader. Who's still in fighting condition?"

Katsuyu paused to sort through the choir of responses in her head. When she was satisfied, she told Shikamaru what she heard. Satisfied, he silently entered his thinking pose and contemplated what he'd learned so far. He knew who was available to head out, and he knew who still needed just a little time to recover. He also had a good idea where the _real_ body was.

They only needed a little time and a lot of luck. He took a moment to watch Naruto. The blond genin was all the luck they needed; he seemed to be a wellspring of it. He was also facing off against the Pein Rikudou alone, and doing more damage than all of Konoha combined.

It was really rather irritating. Shikamaru had made a vow after his first command mission after attaining the rank of chunin. He was going to grow as a leader, and he was going to become more powerful. He was going to make sure none of his friends were severely injured under his care again, much less fatally.

It was, however, the proud failure, the knuckleheaded ninja, the brash loudmouth, the hyperactive sugar rush, that was out there risking his life to save everything they knew.

How did people not like him again?

* * *

Kanaeru came to a sudden stop and held out her arm. Sasame and Isaribi followed her command and skidded to a halt just behind her. Gayt and Star fell into formation behind them, grip tightening on his sword. Even over the shifting rubble, they heard the leather groan as it compressed, tightened, and loosened.

Innocuously, a loose piece of a building fell. Kanaeru loosed a kunai into the vacant spot not a moment later. Sasame and Isaribi looked into the darkness, surprised, when the steel dagger struck with a soft thud rather than a loud clank. It had not struck rebar or concrete.

With the exception of Gayt and Star, they all jumped back when a miasma spewed forth. They were quick to cover their noses and mouths as they threw explosive-tagged kunai into the deadly mist. Just before the explosions, the armor clad warrior leapt forward. In pain stung at him or hot gas charred his skin, he showed no signs of slowing.

He swung his sword mightily, but the silhouette he targeted seemed to flow past it. He skidded for a moment as his momentum carried him forward before turning sharply to parry a slice targeted at a joint in his armor. He skidded further back from the weight of the attack, and he kept his eyes on the target as paper flowed apart before he could counter.

In what seemed like an instant, a female figure emerged atop an unstable roof as the paper seemed to merge together. "I can see why he was worried about you. Even up close, I can't sense you at all, and you three are powerful in your own right." She didn't waste any time as she threw her arms wide.

Various origami figures took shape around her. As she swept her arms forward, paper flora and fauna rocketed towards the surprised shinobi. They barely dodged in time, but they were quickly forced to dodge again. Their opponent quickly created new volley after volley, and the paper constructs were as deadly as any ninja tool. They even loudly crashed off Gayt's mighty armor.

Konan looked up and twisted in surprise when she heard chain link clicking behind her. Her arm folded into a katana, and she managed to block the chain whip just in time. Her eyes narrowed as the red-haired kunoichi smiled and intoned a simple yet strangely disturbing phrase. "_Ninpo: Ichiban no Kyuubi_."

The whip reacted to her chakra, and it seemed to grow and writhe impossibly. Konan was forced to shape her other arm into a katana as she spun to parry a second blow behind her. As she dealt with the strange chain whip, a fist connected with her gut. Her eyes went wide as she was forced backward and her breath escaped her.

Her body disintegrated into a plume of origami birds. They flapped their seemingly insubstantial wings and flew behind the teens that had yet to participate. They reacted to her presence and killing intent by lifting their chins, and, as she formed, her katana-like arms were at their throats.

She stared heatedly at the warriors of unknown origin. Something about the red-head was familiar, but the armored one was a complete mystery. Her eyes went wide in shock as, once more, the red-head uttered simple yet disturbing phrases. "_Ninpo: Niiban no Kyuubi; Sanban no Kyuubi_."

"I bet you have no idea who we are." Kanaeru indicated Gayt, Star, and herself. "You don't know what land we hail from, and you know our intentions even less. Worse, my friend has no discernable chakra. Why, he could be right behind you for all you know." She smiled wickedly as she goaded her opponent.

Konan wasn't easily baited. Though she couldn't sense him, she could still _see_ him standing where they initially clashed. His sword was held oddly, but she was sure there were a myriad of explanations for it. With both arms outstretched, he held his sword so the flat of the blade rested against the other hand. He could simply be centering himself for an attack.

As she was thinking, she barely caught a sliver of light as a warning. As a sword started slicing through her figure, she once again separated into a flight of origami birds. As they reassembled, she couldn't stop the pained look on her face. Though she had successfully dodged, she had still taken damage.

Warily, she looked back to the unmoving figure. For a moment, she thought she saw his image flicker. She concentrated her chakra and, without moving, made a simple intonation. "_Kai_!" The image flickered once again, and then it completely faded as her eyes realized the truth.

Kanaeru smirked. "Gayt, be a dear and stay out of this for a bit. _Ninpo: Yonban no Kyuubi_." She intoned almost cruelly before launching at her opponent to strike. Even before she was in striking range, she whipped her chain forward, and random links dug into the ground. Where they struck, however, seemed to glow briefly. When she was close enough, she planted a foot on the ground and spun expertly to spin before snaking her chain whip forward.

Konan quickly prepared her defenses. She also noted how much faster the red-haired kunoichi seemed to move. She raised her arms to block, and they quickly folded into katana. When the chain slammed into them, the reaction was different. She noted the blow itself was far weaker, but her shaped arms seemed to wither.

She jumped back and analyzed the brief exchange. The paper at her arms felt drier, and the points of impact were slightly brown. She dismissed the transformation and sidestepped her opponent's next blow. She dodged again and again, watching if there was anything else different since using the strange technique.

Kanaeru was faster, but she also seemed weaker. She also had a lot of unnecessary movements. She danced about, often crafting circles in the dirt. Her chain whip haphazardly dug into the earth, sometimes aiming to strike and sometimes not. It was a strange display, and overconfidence spoke poorly in her blatant strutting.

Konan half-nodded to herself after analyzing her opponent's pattern. She moved to counterattack, but the red-head only smirked wider. Frustrated, she swept her arms out, familiar origami figures forming. As she went to thrust her arms forward, something caught her by her wrists. She looked only to find pillars of earth holding her arms. Her eyes went wide in shock as her hands, wrists, and forearms seemed to wither.

Kanaeru held up a finger and wagged it as she clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Tsk, tsk, you should never let your guard down." She shifted into a ready stance as she continued. "I noticed on our first exchange. You're a Suiton expert, and you use that to keep your paper flexible yet sharp and heavy. The paper's a lure for Katon users, but I'm sure it throws off _most_ other Doton users."

Konan lowered her face, bangs obscuring her eyes. _"I cannot let Nagato down…"_ She had to win for Nagato's sake, but she knew the truth in the red-head's words. Without water to sustain her origami, they were as useless as paper. She wasn't Rain's messenger of god without reason, however.

She raised her face with determination burning in her eyes. Energy sparked and danced down her figure, and the pillars of earth exploded magnificently as she lunged at her opponent. Even as her arms recovered, she was molding chakra and forming hand seals for a Raiton technique.

Instinctively, Kanaeru molded her chakra and called up a dome that looked entirely made up of chain link. Most of the links, however, were earthen and made to look like a part of her chain whip. When the charge hand hit it, the barrier was easily breached, but it served its purpose. She was given plenty of time to get away.

As the barrier crumbled, Konan looked around almost desperately to find her target. When she felt a familiar and ominous chakra, she turned slowly to face her altered adversary. She was startled to see the red-head surrounded by red chakra, bubbling angrily. The vague outline of a fox should have been impossible, and a single tail stretched behind her.

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting to use this." Kanaeru's voice seemed almost hollow as she spoke. "It is really rather depressing to fight feeling all this negativity, pent up rage and anger." She sighed. "Gayt, Star, go ahead and check on Naruto. Sasame, Isaribi, you should check on the village and see who needs help."

Gayt hesitated for a moment, but he gave Star a swift nod. They were quickly off. Sasame and Isaribi, however, lingered a moment longer. "Go!" Kanaeru commanded. "I can't fight all out with you here." A foreign echo was creeping into her voice, and it sent shivers down the teens' backs. Reluctantly, they finally obeyed.

Konan watched impassively. "Are you sure you should have let them go? I can easily overcome your Doton with my Raiton." Of course, she didn't know what other element or elements the foreign shinobi might be hiding, but she was confident in her abilities. Once she was finished with the target in front of her, she was going after the armored warrior.

"I'm sure." Kanaeru enjoyed watching her opponent's head jerk in surprise. Her voice was low with a pitched growl, hollow and uninviting. "I was serious when I said I couldn't go all out with them here. I don't know what'll happen when I do this feeling such malevolence. _Ninpo: Goban no Kyuubi_." She launched forward with even greater speed.

* * *

Gamakichi and Gamatatsu squirmed as they were lifted by an invisible force. Tendou's arms mimed by how much they came off the ground. They had tried attacking him from either side. As he swept his arms in front of him, they uncontrollably flew parallel to his palms. After an instant, they collided and fell to the ground in a great heap.

Tendou released his technique, and the toad brothers groaned as they tried to get up. Their bodies ached, and they faltered as soon as they put any weight onto their legs. Naruto noticed and went to dismiss them as Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara rushed the offending body of the Pein Rikudou.

When they didn't disappear in a plume of smoke, he turned to Fukusaku and Shima. They gave him a hard look. After a moment, Fukusaku answered, and Shima shook her head. "You can't just dismiss us. _I _summoned us here, so it's not so simple." The elder toads could only watch as the boss toad's children tried to stand again.

They all watched in surprise and horror as three more powerful toad summons fell. They were pinned to the ground with their own weapons, and the injuries could be fatal if left unchecked. They could bleed to death from such grievous wounds, and the two remaining bodies weren't going to be stopped easily.

As Gamabunta rushed in to help his underlings, Naruto summoned two _Kage Bushin_ to attempt a distraction. Tendou and Gakidou wisely retreated to a safer distance when they heard the familiar buzz and tension of the _Rasenshuriken_. The blond genin wasn't even trying to hide his intentions. He wanted them away from his toad summons.

He leaned back before launching his attack forward. As it flew through the air, he rushed over to where Gamabunta stood over their fallen allies. As quickly as Naruto had taken out three of the Pein Rikudou bodies, Tendou had taken out five toads. He knew such a feat only meant one thing. Two bodies were far easier to control than six.

He looked over his shoulder and nodded to Fukusaku as his senjutsu faded. Then he turned his attention to Tendou and Gakidou. As the chakra-eating body did exactly that, he noticed him stiffen, if only momentarily. It gave the teen something to think about. For the moment, he was worried about his friends.

"Gamabunta!" The boss toad turned to look at the young summoner. "How are they? They took some heavy hits from that strange jutsu." As he finished, he heard a poof near the elder toads. The markings of senjutsu returned to his face, and he felt chakra as only a sage could.

The extraordinarily large toad answered solemnly. "They're hurt pretty bad, but they'll live. My sons have broken several bones in their legs, and I've ordered them to stay put." He paused to point out Gakidou. "You notice how that one stiffened?" Naruto's nod was all he needed. "Well, he just scraped off a patch of stone skin."

Tendou called out as the blond teen sported a devilish smirk. "Is this all you are capable of? I had thought, with your earlier showing, that this little diversion would be far more interesting." He held his hands out and aimed his open palms at Gamabunta. "Though, you do not yet know _pain_ as I do."

Even the toad summon boss wasn't immune to the strange and powerful technique Tendou used. He was lifted off his feet then thrown over the village wall to come crashing down in the forest. As trees were thrown helter-skelter and the ground was gouged, the thunder-like chorus rang throughout the village.

Naruto scowled the offending body. He didn't know how he was going to get close enough to destroy him as he could attract and repel objects and techniques seemingly at will. He knew about the delay, but it didn't seem like enough. Then he turned his attention toward Gakidou. _"At least I can take one of them out and leave a _Kage Bushin_ as backup."_

With a plan ready, he formed familiar hand seals and molded enough chakra to call forth two more _Kage Bushin_, the others dispelled long ago in the chaos. He ran just behind them as he molded chakra and raced through the necessary hand seals. He called his attack as he launched into the air to strike down on his target. "_Fuuton: Daishou Rasenkei_!"

* * *

Hinata and Chouji couldn't help it. They watched in awe, jaws slack. Hearing a slight moan, they looked to Shizune to see Shion waking. As she slowly sat up, the dark-haired medic supported her. The Demons daimyo priestess looked around blearily as she tried to remember where she was and what she was doing. She failed.

The surroundings were unfamiliar and in need of repair. There was also too much debris for the Hyuuga estates. Her eyes went wide with realization, and she sharply looked around. With the exception of some ANBU lying on the ground, everybody looked safe, and a familiar sign identified her surroundings. She was on the tattered remains of the Hokage tower's roof.

"Ow…" She realized too late that her body was in a great deal of pain. In hastily rotating her head to take in her surroundings, her body quickly reminded her of its situation. However, she was glad to find Momiji curled up beside her, so she ignored the pain to find out what was going on.

"There's a desperate struggle to keep as many alive as possible." A voice resounded inside her head. She looked around until something urged her to look at a pale, young girl. Rikka continued. "Naruto is fighting the remnants of Pein's bodies, the man who attacked the village. Oh, I'm Yuuhi Rikka by the way."

Shion nodded. "Uh, nice to meet you… I'm Shion." She looked around, slowly as not to agitate her neck. She could feel immense pressure, but she wasn't trained to understand what it was. She wanted to understand more about what was going on. She lurched forward when the ground shook.

A heavily armored man landed heavily, closer to Hinata and Chouji. A large indentation announced his presence more than sound or chakra. Even Rikka stared wide-eyed at him as he didn't even seem to be there. He had no presence, except for the five main senses. Nobody could detect his chakra, and he didn't seem to acknowledge them as he watched the battle waged between Naruto and the two remaining Pein Rikudou.

"Gayt, what are you doing here?!" Hinata was surprised to see the armored behemoth. She thought he would be with Kanaeru, and she thought the Whirlpool kunoichi was still out and about exploring Fire. She had heard she was away with a couple of leaf shinobi. As well as she knew him, she was astonished by the next sight.

Star blinked frantically as what seemed like merely a small globe rapidly expanded. After a moment, it was as big as Gayt's forearm, and then it exploded in a brilliant display of color. What emerged startled everyone. A girl, she looked to be preteen, stretched and arched her back with a happy moan. "Ah, there's so much mana here!" She giggled, almost madly, as she twisted to look over her self.

Her long, pale hair was tied off in two ponytails and appeared almost ice blue. She wore a red tank top and black leather miniskirt that showed off her midriff, and she seemed to have a tail stretching from the base of her spine. After a moment, she pouted. "Aw…" She droned. "…there's not enough mana for my true form!"

She turned to her armored ally, her pout deepening. "I'm sorry, Gayt. I wanted to show you how much I've grown!" She kissed her fore and middle finger and gave him a v-sign. "Don't worry; we just need more mana!" Then she turned her attention to the raging battle, evil smirk plastered on her face.

Before she could continue, she noticed all the stunned faces looking at her. She blinked as she wondered what was up, but it was Hinata who finally broke the silence. "Wh-What are you?" Everybody else just nodded, rather speechless. Nobody could have imagined that the globe of light was a miniature…person.

Star tilted her head to one side. "Star is Star; I've always been like this." She turned to grin at Gayt. "I've always been with Gayt! I love him _so_ much!" She twirled around and seemed to dance in the air before she hovered over to his sword. "It's too bad there's only enough mana for me to look like this, but I can help out in my own way. Teehee!"

With a flash of light, her form seemed to melt into his sword. The lines in his armor, which previously only appeared to be decoration, glowed red with power. The glyphs and runes came alive as Gayt and Star merged their power. He swung his sword back, and a powerful gust pushed them down. His sword then glowed blue.

"Ah, I've always loved water and ice more than the other elements!" Star's voice echoed through the sword, adding a metallic ring to it. With a burst of power, water encircled the armored warrior and seemed to form a platform. He was quickly carried away as the water seemed to form a wave.

Chouji looked to Hinata. "Could he always do that?" He was certain she'd known him longer, but her face was as equal a mix of astonishment and awe as everybody else.

Hinata shook her head. "I don't know, but I've _never_ seen Star like that…" She knew Star could merge with Gayt's weapons, but the new form of his armor was new. The color and glow were ominous, but the power he seemed to exude wasn't threatening.

* * *

Shikaku rose and looked to Gai. "Cho's a little weak, so we should go on ahead." As everybody else with a piece of Katsuyu on their shoulder, he heard the call. Tsunade needed capable ninja to head out to where Shikamaru, his own son, thought Pein's main body would be.

Gai nodded in agreement. Kakashi was weakened, but he was in good hands with Katsuyu. Chouza was going to stick around for at least a little while, but he expected the mission to be completed before either recovered. From what he could gather, several capable chunin and jonin were already preparing to move out.

Without another word, Shikaku and Gai took off. They were quickly joined by Inoichi who was nearby anyway. When they met Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru along the way, they ordered them to come along as well. As a newly assembled full assault force, it wasn't long before they ran across yet another of the many battles of the day.

Kanaeru, the noted, looked a little worse for wear. She was panting, and bits of her clothing were torn. Pieces of chain link were missing from her whip, held together by obvious Doton links. The only remnants of her Kyuubi-like chakra were fox-like ears holding tufts of hair aloft.

Konan, whom they did not recognize, was quickly marked as an enemy combatant. Her arms were folded into katana, and her hair was badly wrinkled and dry, hanging in unkempt locks obviously made of paper. Recognizing new enemies she wasn't ready for, she launched another full volley of origami at her opponent before promptly fleeing.

The leaf nin would have given pursuit if possible, but they couldn't follow her flowing origami as it blended with clouds and dust. Instead, they focused on their injured ally. As they rushed over to her, her strength gave out, and she crumpled to the ground. As her vision blurred, she saw the figures hovering over her, but she wasn't in any condition to acknowledge them.

The battle had been rough. The paper-wielder was certainly a powerful foe, and she had no effective counters except Doton to her Suiton backed paper specialty. She had used _Goban no Kyuubi_ and her 'red' chakra to aid in distracting attention from her kousotsu and Konoha traveling companions. It was more important they get away to help the village, and her nephew.

As the edges of her consciousness darkened, she heard a familiar voice. A familiar tic furrowed her brow, and her hands involuntarily clenched. She didn't know what the voice was saying, but it was close…too close. Her fist shot up and caught him at the base of his jaw. "Get away from me you dirty pervert!"

Gai was sent flaying to the ground by the unexpected punch. Undaunted, he stood as the others helped her up. He smiled and gave her a thumb up. "What would Kakashi say if I let you fall so easily on the battlefield." Her coughed uncomfortably at her incredulous look.

Shikaku shook his head. "Anyway, we should get going." He looked her up and down one last time. "If you're not too hurt, I'm sure Naruto could use your help." She gave him a questioning look. "What? I'm sure you don't want to see Akatsuki get away with him." Without another word, he stood and silently commanded everybody else to follow.

Kanaeru watched them leave before slapping her cheeks and shaking off the last of her battle fatigue. She reached into a hidden supply container and pulled out a soldier pill. After popping into her mouth, she bit into it and swallowed. The bitter taste drove fatigue from her muscles, but it would take longer to replenish her chakra reservoir.

Feeling more up to the task, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel her nephew as clear as day. He wasn't using Kyuubi's chakra, but there was certainly a 'taint' to his chakra. It was almost nostalgic, but she couldn't place it. Deciding to think on it later, she took off in the direction she could feel him still fighting. "You better stay alive, kit!"

* * *

Naruto was having trouble getting close to Tendou and Gakidou. With most of his toad summons down for the count and Gamabunta not recovered from having the wind knocked out of him, two Pein Rikudou were proving a little difficult to handle. On the bright side, he had an idea to handle at least one of them.

He discovered very quickly that Tendou had excellent close combat skills. He was forced to avoid line of sight of his open palms, so he kept most of his attention on his opponent's hands. His ability was far too dangerous to ignore. With senjutsu, he was able to keep track of Gakidou anyway.

He was momentarily distracted when he felt another presence approaching. He inadvertently paused when he sensed _only_ natural energy, no chakra. He was keenly aware of how natural energy felt, using it himself. However, senjutsu required the perfect balance of internal and external energy. The momentary distraction and lingering thoughts, however, cost him.

Tendou extracted a strange rod from beneath his robes and launched it at the blond genin with his unique gravity push. It impaled Naruto's shoulder and sent him flying back into an unstable wall. With Akatsuki's prey cornered, the remaining Pein Rikudou moved in. Both prepared similar rods. Tendou held one, and Gakidou held two.

A blur of motion obscured the bodies from view, and metallic clangs announced Naruto's salvation. Tendou was held back by an ominously glowing sword, and Gakidou was held under a deluge of water. Gayt stood with his back to the blond, and one eye glowed ice blue under his helm as he glared down the bodies. Heated anger radiated off him.

"Oh, the mana is _much_ stronger closer to the source!" A female voice echoed from the Gayt's sword. Though Naruto wouldn't know it, she sounded more mature than a moment ago. Star giggled, recognizing his confused state. She rather enjoyed his dumbstruck expression, but Gayt had a mission to accomplish. "Wipe that dumb look off your face and help us."

Blinking, Naruto decided it was best to ask questions later. He grabbed the rod and yanked it out of his shoulder. It hurt, but his wound was already closing up. He rushed Gakidou and shoulder tackled him out of the deluge. Before he could get hurt, Gayt released his technique. Naruto smiled over his shoulder. "Think you can handle him for a moment?"

Gayt nodded but did not respond verbally. Instead, he centered himself and held the grip of his sword with both hands. Tendou was thrown back by the force, and he used his power over gravity to immediately come to a stop. He was quickly on the defensive as the kousotsu lunged after him to continue the offensive.

Naruto got close to Gakidou, close enough to be suicidal for most. Still stunned from being inundated then shoulder tackled, the chakra-absorbing body's immediate response was self-defense. He blocked, parried, and moved about, but he did not counterattack or attempt to do what he was best at.

As he observed Tendou's situation through their shared vision, he grew aggressive. Gakidou lashed out, but Naruto responded appropriately. A punch to the gut was deflected. A palm thrust to the chest was met with a crushing blow to the elbow. A sweep of the legs only earned him a roundhouse to the jaw.

As Gakidou stumbled backward, he molded his chakra and glared down the blond teen disdainfully. He moved fluidly into attack position. A feint to one side earned him a stiff jab to the shoulder, but he'd survive. He expertly maneuvered behind Akatsuki's target and pinned his arms behind his back. He remained silent even as he sucked chakra out the boy's body through his hands.

Knowing the chakra would be far too much for one body, he shared some of it through his link. He leeched deeper into the boy's chakra supply until he could distinctly taste the Kyuubi's powerful, negative energy. He avoided it to drain away the boy's instead. He did notice something odd, though. The chakra was oddly balanced, and it held foreign elements.

He couldn't identify it, but he paid it little mind. As long as the boy was incapacitated or made to use the Kyuubi's chakra, everything could proceed according to plan. When he felt his body stiffen oddly, he heard and felt a strain through the link. His vision clouded, and he wondered if he had even heard an order to stop. It was a strange order, so he ignored it in favor of weakening the target.

He felt his body bulge and an odd urge to croak like a toad. When he heard stone shatter, he tried to look down. Unable to see on his own, he concentrated on the Rinnegan. His arms were shattered, split like stone. Naruto was wiping dust off his garb, staring intensely into Tendou's eyes. His body creaked and broke apart, and he knew no more.

Nagato was faced with a unique. His only remaining body was Tendou, so he could concentrate completely on him. However, a single shinobi had destroyed four of his Pein Rikudou. Sure, he had help with timely interference, but he could have accomplished much the same on his own. He had to get rid of the armored warrior, so he could concentrate on his _real_ target.

Tendou extended his open palm to the kousotsu. Gayt tensed in preparation, but a looming shadow drew both their attention. They were forced to leap out of the way as Gamabunta's massive sword struck the ground where the unnatural body once stood; the giant toad followed close behind. The force of his impact sent a ripple and shockwave through the rubble.

Fukusaku looked to Shima. "Now's our chance!" She nodded in agreement with her husband, and they cleared their throats. After a moment, they started the process of tuning their voices and matching their rhythm. Their intentions were well understood by Naruto and Gamabunta, but they would have no chance to tell the armored warrior.

Tendou sent them a sharp look, but he ignored them in favor of fending off the two interfering with his capture. For whatever reason, his quarry was holding back. He did seem to be focusing; though, he could not tell on what. He didn't have time to dwell, however, as he was forced to duck under a powerful blast of water.

As the water impacted the earth, it shot out as ice shards. He hadn't felt any chakra, so he decided to the kousotsu created the ice from the toad's attack. He swept his arms out and used his power to deflect the shards away from him. With precision born from practice, he aimed them at the gigantic toad. While Gamabunta managed to shield his vitals, he went down hard, looking like a pincushion.

Adding insult to injury, Tendou reversed his momentum by pushing off one of the ice shards. It pushed deeper through Gamabunta's bleeding arm, causing him to grunt in pain. Ignoring the miserable toad, he pushed an open palm towards Gayt. Instinctively, the warrior dodged to one side.

Tendou expertly pivoted and send a roundhouse kick to the sword-wielding man's side. Unable to block, he took the full brunt of the kick. He slammed face first into a broken foundation with the full weight of his armor and the kick. Star screamed out in pain as the force reached even her.

As Gayt forced himself up, the glow of his armor flickered. His glowing, blue eye narrowed. Star's concentration was low after the last hit. He swung his sword, and a swirling vortex of water erupted from the pinnacle of the arch. The water was frigid and would freeze on contact.

Once again, Tendou had plenty of time to recover. He held his arms aloft and pointed his open palms at the incoming attack. With all Nagato's attention, he could fight without restraint. He put everything into the counter, and finally spoke its name, though barely a whisper. "_Shinra Tensei_." The vortex of water seemed to hang in midair for a second before in responded.

Gayt felt his eyes widen. The only visible indication was a slightly brighter glow from his ice blue orb. He was hardly affected by chakra only based attacks, but his attacks were based on mana. Apparently, the strange gravity altering attack he was facing off against could affect his attacks, and he was susceptible to his own.

The frigid water slammed into him, and he was thrown back by the force of the impact and _Shinra Tensei_. Star protected him as best she could by splitting from his sword and reabsorbing the ice. It wasn't easy as the mana was all but useless after being focused into an attack, but she managed to stop it from freezing him solid.

She fell to the ground, panting and exhausted. She was in no condition to fight with most of her mana depleted, and she was barely maintaining her human form. Tendou decided they were no longer a threat after they remained still for several moments. He turned his attention to Naruto, their heated glares at his back.

Tendou's attention soon turned to Fukusaku and Shima as their song reached his ears. He shook his head in disdain and tossed a handful of shuriken at them. Naruto's eyes went wide, but there was no way he could reach them in time. He tried to call out, but they were struck down before his lips could form the words.

Unable to tell is they were dead or alive, he turned, enraged, to the man who seemed intent on becoming the source of his pain. The man called his troupe the Pein Rikudou, and he seemed intent on discussing the merits of pain and hardship in the world. He had killed Jiraiya and countless other shinobi. He was threatening the lives of countless more, including his friends and Tsunade.

Tendou looked into his eyes and nodded. "Finally, you are starting to understand pain. Sadly, you don't understand _true_ Pein yet. If you did, perhaps you would see the futility of fighting me. Perhaps I should have you wallow further into despair." He seemed to disappear from view only to reappear behind Naruto.

Before the blond genin could respond, the last remaining body kicked the back of his knees in. As he buckled under his own weight, Tendou kicked the small of his back. Naruto was knocked to the ground, dazed. Before he could recover, he felt sheer pain ripple through his body. When he opened his eyes, he saw strange rods nailing him to the ground through his hands and shoulders.

As Tendou stood, he calmly walked to where he could easily position two more rods through his prey's thighs. "You have come the closest of anyone to defeating my Pein Rikudou. I praise you for your effort, Uzumaki Naruto. However, ignorance of true Pein has lost you this match. However, I shall enlighten you before I rip the Kyuubi no Kitsune from your soul."

He paused to walk around to directly face the pinned down teen. He waited long enough for the pain he was experiencing to numb before continuing. "I shall destroy this village you hold so dear before your very eyes, and I shall kill everyone you hold precious for only your eyes to see." He looked up for a moment as if to make a decision. "I think the Hokage would make an excellent first example."

He ignored the protests of the blond genin as he turned to take a step towards the ruins of the Hokage tower. He was stopped by a young warrior he had paid no mind. She stood before him in the traditional juuken stance of the Hyuuga clan, her eyes ablaze with the Byakugan.

"Hinata! No, get out of here!" Naruto sounded almost desperate. He knew she was powerful, and he believed in her strength. However, Tendou was too strong for any one person to face. He knew he couldn't without senjutsu, but it did him little good pinned to the ground. "He's too strong for you; you can't beat him!" Besides, he could see Gayt slowly rising to his feet. Maybe, just maybe, the kousotsu could free him from the strange rods…

Hinata shook her head adamantly, and Tendou remained silent. "I can't do that, Naruto-kun." Nagato almost smiled; there was affection in her voice. "I can't run away any longer. You're…You're too precious to me." She didn't care if the entire village heard her, and she was certain she felt flabbergasted stares falling on her back. "Even if I die, even if I can never see you again, I have to do this, Naruto-kun."

Tendou stood calmly by as he watched the exchange. Her affections were obvious, and he seemed to genuinely wish her for her safety. He kept his gaze on the young woman even as Naruto spoke. "You can't stay here, Hinata! What about Neji? What about your clan? You've _gotta_ get outta here!"

Hinata smiled. "You don't know how much it means to me to hear your concern…but I'm not leaving. Not now, not ever. I…I want to be with you, Naruto-kun. I want to protect you and see you achieve your dream. You're a proud failure, and I want to be a proud failure just like you!" She closed her eyes and concentrated.

She didn't know what was going to come, but she only had one thing she wanted to tell him. In all her life, it was the one thing she feared the most. If he rejected her, everything she loved would have rejected her. Though she had recovered her father and cousin's affections, his rejection would be more crushing than all the heartbreak in her life.

She opened her eyes, Byakugan set in determination. "I've watched you for a long time, and I want to have the same ability to stand up after all my failures. I want the same spirit to keep coming back, keep growing stronger." She sent him a soft gaze, soaking in his wonderment. "I love you Naruto. I always have."

As she rushed Tendou, Nagato already knew what had to be done. A single strike directly to her sternum would incapacitate and quite possible kill her. She was attacking foolhardily. He prepared to deliver the decisive blow, one he knew would severely damage Naruto's ego. Then he saw something unexpected.

Hinata momentarily closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they glowed with unwavering determination and power. Water seemed to condense around her, and they collected at her arms. Sensing possible danger, he threw out a palm strike. He could deliver _Shinra Tensei_ if he was wrong or use the thrust as a feint.

He wasn't too surprised to see her twist around his initial attack. He _was_ surprised, however, when she whipped the water appendage around his wrist. He tried to strike her with his other hand, but she twisted again and sent him spinning. He recovered in time to avoid her first juuken strike, but she moved too quickly for him to get off a decent strike.

Naruto was suitably stunned. Hinata bobbed and weaved like a dancer, and her movements were oddly reminiscent of an event that played out before his trip with Jiraiya. He watched with slack jaw as she expertly targeted tenketsu. He was vaguely aware her power was overflowing, but he didn't know why.

In order to protect her most precious person, Hinata was using _Yakedo_. For the first time, she had initiated it conscientiously. She was a willing participant and knew exactly what was going on. Her sight was sharp, and contrasts stood out to her far better than before. To her, tenketsu were like blazing beacons. She was fighting for Naruto, and he was watching.

Naruto regain his senses as he watched Hinata's desperate struggle. He knew she was going to lose if he didn't do something quickly. He fought against the unusual rods, but they seemed to have a connection to his chakra. He looked up when he felt the familiar rush of _Shinra Tensei_, but he was relieved to see the first strike miss.

Hinata was winded. Her chakra was low to begin with, and it was quickly depleting. _Yakedo_ burned through it quicker, and juuken took a toll on the user's body. She had to end the fight quickly, or Naruto had to get free. She resumed her attack, and the dance continued.

It wasn't long before Tendou recovered enough to use his attack again. He decided patience best served his purpose, so he watched and waited. He was careful to dodge or parry her strikes, but he never blocked. He slowly wore her down until the opportune moment. When he saw his chance, he struck.

Naruto watched in horror, but Hinata caught something in how Tendou's chakra moved. She thrust her palm forward, and, for a moment, it looked like the whip-like water appendage was going to strike her instead. Her face contorted in concentration, and, after a moment, the whip-like water appendage of her other hand shot to towards the ground witch became indented.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprised, and Tendou stared at the strange crater for a long moment. Hinata panted as she recovered from the exertion, not entirely sure what she did. She knew the attack moved through her, but she was trying to redirect it to him… It was too much for her, so it fired off randomly instead.

Not impressed, Tendou continued. Hinata was forced on the defensive, and her opponent decided to test her strange feat to deflect his ability. Twice he regained just enough power to launch _Shinra Tensei_, and twice she deflected it. While Naruto and just about everybody else watching were suitably impressed, Tendou decided on another tactic.

Their next exchange of blows was significantly longer. It was obvious Hinata was being worn down. Her whip-like water appendages almost seemed limp, but Tendou didn't press his advantage. After a moment, he just stopped. She landed a blow on his shoulder, barely missing a tenketsu, and looked at him in surprise.

He molded his chakra and stared her down. All around her, the pressure seemed to increase unnaturally. Her knees nearly buckled before he quietly announced what she was experiencing. "It must be heavy, _Shinra Tensei_." She fell as a crater formed and dust cloud billowed.

* * *

First of all, I apologize for the late release without omake or prior notice. I've been without power (at least while I was awake or at the house) for the past few days. As such, I had no Internet or ability to proofread my work. It's pretty much raw right now, and I'm going to _try_ to come back to it later today to double check my grammar and spelling. I may also be creating a forum and another poll or two soon, so keep an eye out (no earlier than Friday July 31).

I just noticed I've been spelling Gamatatsu incorrectly, so I'll be going back and (eventually) fixing all instances of 'Gamatsu' to the correct spelling. I also noticed an odd switch from 'nee' to 'nii' when Kanaeru is talking about her sister... Obviously, 'nii' is incorrect, so that's another issue I'll fix in a few previous chapters. Nothing major, but I wanted to apologize for any confusion.

This chapter (and obviously parts of the next) were planned well, well, _well_ in advance. If you take out the _Yakedo_ and ability to deflect _Shinra Tensei_, it's pretty much how I imagined the battle would go...until the anticlimactic OHTKO. For reference, he idea for the deflection actually came from when six-tailed Naruto launched Tendou into the Hokage monument. Enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,092  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Ninpo: _[x]_ban no Kyuubi_ - _Ninja Art: _[x]_th of the Nine Tails_: Kanaeru's unique technique sacrifices stopping power for speed. As her speed increases, she can draw runes in the earth with her feet and chain whip with increasing complexity and number. She can only concentrate on a few runes at a time. She can only get to _Yonban no Kyuubi_ without using the Kyuubi-like chakra.


	29. Chapter 26: The Lost

TimeShifter: I see we're dissatisfied over the same thing with Konan. She always seemed like an interesting character, and I just wanted to do something with her. I have a feeling I may use her again in the future. Yes, 'natural energy' or mana feels like taint to Kanaeru, and you might still be surprised by the Kyuubi's chakra. I love surprising my readers. A clue about Gayt and Star, they are from a continent far, _far_ away. I've also revealed enough about them that one could guess what universe they're from...and who they are. Sorry about forgetting Naruto's response. I was so focused on the fight that it slipped my mind. I hope this chapter fixes that. I also feel a sense of accomplishment releasing a cliffhanger that leaves my readers yearning for more. Ah, it just feels too good... I'm just truly and honestly sorry the 'forever' took four weeks instead of the usual two.

samueltm2: Oh, things are only getting started. Surprisingly, I wanted this arc to be short.

* * *

**Chapter 26:  
The Lost  
**

"What?!" Hawk looked to Katsuyu on her shoulder and grimaced as she almost lost her grip on a bit of rubble. After a moment to recompose, she managed to lift the fallen chunk of wall enough for the ninja underneath to roll himself to safety. As he painfully checked his leg, she practically spat her anger at the innocent slug. "What do you mean Hinata-sama's facing that monster?!"

Katsuyu's voice was as calm and placating as ever. "Nobody ordered her out there." She pointed out as if the accusation hung in the air. "She saw Naruto in trouble, and she couldn't stay put. She moved before anybody could stop her, and Tsunade-sama has ordered her to return."

Hawk grumbled under her breath. She didn't mean to let her emotions get the better of her. "Sorry." Though through clenched teeth, her apology was sincere. Shaking her head, she decided to take stock of the situation. "Okay, tell me what happened. From the top." She wanted all the details, just in case Hiashi wanted an explanation when he returned from Suna.

Katsuyu blinked a few times as she communicated with Tsunade. After a few moments, she finally spoke up. "I'll tell you as you do your job. As ANBU, you should understand that much." When the female commander nodded and rushed to the next site, the slug continued. "Naruto's fight was impressive, and Hinata was watching it intently. In fact, everybody who could see it was impressed."

She bowed her head in thought. "As Pein's bodies were destroyed, one-by-one, he seemed to grow stronger. That's when Naruto started having trouble. Down to one body, Pein seemed to take the upper hand, and he took out the remainder of Naruto's frog summon army. Seeing him pinned to the ground and helpless, she sprang into action."

Seeing Hawk make short work of a fallen wall and pull several shinobi to safety, Katsuyu continued. "She vaulted over rubble and escaped the ruins of the Hokage tower to make it to the battle zone. When those present noticed she was gone, they saw her slide to a halt and lower into the juuken stance. She confronted Pein and made a surprising declaration."

Unseen, Hawk smirked under her mask. "The little princess finally confessed to that blond-headed idiot; did she?" The slug's surprised reaction was the only indication she needed. "What? The Byakugan really _doesn't_ miss anything, and I was assigned to watch her while she was…supervised by Kurenai, in the academy, and when possible as a genin."

Katsuyu shook her head and relayed the information to Tsunade, who was almost unconscious she noted. She resigned herself to watching the ANBU commander rescue shinobi from under rubble as she recounted Hinata's heroism. "As I was saying, she confronted Pein after making her declaration. She used her Byakugan quite effectively, and she displayed Suiton mastery beyond what is reported in records. Her combat was swift and fluid, and she seemed able to…redirect Pein's 'gravity' attack."

Hawk nodded. "A time/space jutsu that seems to affect gravity… Nasty." She could sorta/kinda guess the mechanics behind Hinata's counter based on what she understood about time/space techniques. At the same time, the ability to affect gravity was at least A-rank or kekkei genkai.

Katsuyu bobbed her head in agreement. "It was, but she seemed to handle it well. She's still fighting him, and he doesn't seem to have a counter for her counter yet. It's actually quite perplexing, but we'll have to wait for her explanation later." The slug finished recounting up to current events, so she fell silent.

Out of curiosity, Hawk had one more question. "So, how'd he react? The blond menace, that is?" The touch of amusement in her voice showed a lack of hatred or killing intent. She was also genuinely concerned for the two young adults, probably more so for Hinata. However, such concern was understandable.

Katsuyu distinctly giggled. She seemed amused to retell his reaction. "It was probably the first time anybody could honestly say he had _nothing_ to say. I believe Shizune's exact words were, 'The look on his face is priceless!' Well, at least that's what she thought. It's kind of hectic have idle chitchat like…" She paused, a tremor entering her voice. "…that…"

As the slug trailed off, Hawk skidded to a halt. "What?" She watched the slug blink and mouth form an 'o' shape. "What is it?" She watched more blinking and grew impatient. "Tell me what's going on already!" She barely maintained enough to control to keep from stomping her foot in protest, an old habit that had yet to die.

Katsuyu shook her head. "Oh my…" She fumbled for words. "Tsunade-sama gives you permission to come to the Hokage tower if you want, but no closer. Hinata is…in a tight spot." Her head jerked back when the ANBU commander took off before she was ready. She quickly recovered while silently communicating with Tsunade.

* * *

Within the ruins of the Hokage tower, the occupants watched in horror as billowing dust clouds obscured Hinata and Tendou from view. "Hinata!" Naruto bellowed out from the ruined field of battle nearby. Their hearts went out to him, but there was nothing they could physically do. They were exhausted to the point of chakra depletion, and Tsunade was on the verge of dangerously deadly collapse.

Sakura and Ino were fulfilling their duties as medic ninja along with Shizune, and Chouji was being used to safely transport or hold patients. In all, it was not the best situation for shinobi to be running in without thinking. They knew and understood the Hyuuga heir's intentions and feelings. They even supported her and quietly cheered as she showed Pein a thing or three. She just chose the wrong moment to show her growth.

Then with the suddenness of lightning, a thunderous boom shook the ruins and caused rubble to shift and collapse further. From the billowing dust clouds, Hinata's barely conscious form emerged near the top. At the apex of her flight, she her head and limbs lolled with autonomic reflexes and gravity. She landed with a sickening crack and rolled once, twice, three times.

As she came to a stop, Tendou utilized his control over gravity to push the dust back to the earth. He was near the center of the crater formed by his last _Shinra Tensei_. He tilted his head enough to look up at the girl's prone figure, hand hanging over the edge of one of the crevices stretching from the crater.

He turned his attention to Naruto. He nodded when he noticed the blond genin had come out of his stupor. In fact, his angry glower was powerful and filled with killing intent. To the bringer of pain, there was only one problem with his gaze. "You do not yet understand true Pein, but you are taking leaps and bounds towards that enlightenment. I can see it in your eyes."

He led the boy's gaze to the injured girl. "You care for her, and the sight of her fighting for you and hurting for you weighs on your heart." He returned his gaze to the boy's enhanced glower. "You should understand what I'm trying to do, yet you do not. You fight and struggle, but that strife has brought you nothing."

With a nod, Tendou drew a katana hidden underneath his black robes painted with red clouds. He shifted his eyes to Hinata one more time before turning to face Gayt. "There is nobody left to interfere, and you are in no position to stop me, Uzumaki Naruto. You will experience true Pein, and then I shall have the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

His gaze lingered on the armored warrior. The strange human-like creature that emerged from his sword was still recovering, panting as she glared angrily at him. Though, a light wind swirled the dust near her. The man was kneeling and, apparently, centering himself. His sword was held out from his body with the flat of the blade resting against one hand. It was an unusual stance, but he paid it no mind.

He hadn't heard the conversation moment's ago.

* * *

Gayt looked to Star; the glow of his eyes had already faded. She looked worn out, completely depleted of mana. She was fighting the protective globe from consuming her and returning her to a base elemental form. He only took his gaze off her to watch Hinata's struggle.

She had done well in confronting the monstrous warrior. Pein was not to be trifled with, and she stood up to him with straight back and pride. He was adequately impressed. He returned his gaze to his stalwart, if having questionable morals, companion. "It's time to use my mana."

She sighed disparagingly, and he blinked in confusion. "We are _not_ draining your life force!" She smiled widely at him. "Did you forget why I asked Kanaeru to forge that armor for you?" Her expression turned serious as she lowered her gaze, bangs overshadowing her eyes. "We can't risk damaging the seals."

"Perhaps, but you are dangerously low on mana. If you don't revert into elemental form, you may damage you own body." He watched as Hinata was engulfed in billowing dust clouds. "I have another idea. Think you can gather enough mana for this?" He held his sword level with his chest and placed the flat of the blade against his outstretched palm.

She nodded with a devilish grin. "Oh yeah, that'll be a piece of cake! Just take me somewhere where there's _lots_ of mana!" Her tail flicked as she concentrated on the thinning mana in the area. Naruto was still giving off plenty, but she couldn't rely on him as a source from so far away. As she concentrated, wind lightly swirled around her like an embodiment of power, and her age stopped alternating between child and prepubescent.

When Tendou finally noticed, he dismissed them as harmless. They physically felt like they deserved that, but one should never turn their back on an enemy until said enemy was dead. A devilish smirk found its way onto Star's face. She was going to make him pay for dismissing her master!

* * *

Kanaeru landed awkwardly on a collapsing roof. She struggled to regain her balance as a nearby shockwave threatened to cave in what remained of the ruined building. She managed to jump off as the building crumbled in on itself. Without wiping the sweat and grime from her brow, she took off to find her nephew.

Her eyes stung from sweat, but she strained to keep them open. She _was_ going to find her nephew! She had to complete what the Fourth started nearly sixteen years prior. She also had a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach that something terrible was about to happen.

With the village in ruins, she would have gotten lost several times over. She found no landmarks, and she wasn't as familiar with the streets as the natural denizens. Instead, she concentrated on the steady, familiar flow of the chakra of her sister's son. When she finally arrived, she was opposite the former Hokage tower.

She looked around cautiously. There was no point taking risks as close as she was to accomplishing her goal. She didn't sense any nearby chakra, but she knew how skilled members of Akatsuki were. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Tendou pointing a katana at Naruto. Her eyes went wide when she saw Hinata, possibly unconscious, at the top of the crater Tendou was in.

"Tell me, Uzumaki Naruto…" Tendou seemed to start without preamble. "…how does it feel to know you can do nothing to stop the destruction of this village?" He paused to direct the tip of his blade to the barely conscious heiress. "…of this girl?"

"Let her go!" Naruto bellowed at the top of his lungs. There was an edge to his voice, and he trailed off slightly in a growl. Though others couldn't feel it, Kanaeru could sense him forcing Kyuubi's chakra back down.

"It's pointless." Tendou practically scoffed. "Your village failed to protect you. Your summons failed to defend you. _You_ failed to save your village. _You_ failed to rescue this girl." He turned to look up where Hinata…used to be. His gaze traveled down to see her still unmoving form resting near his feet.

He slightly tilted his head to one side. He hadn't heard the ground give way, yet the ledge she was resting on had most certainly crumbled. He could see the evidence. Instead of dwelling, he bent down to… He stopped and stood erect when he heard a child crying. "That chakra…"

Naruto's eyes went wide as he felt the unfamiliar yet nostalgic chakra. He couldn't place the strange feeling, but he knew one thing for certain. The bijuu sealed inside his body was oddly still. He felt his own chakra flow return to normal, and his rage no longer clouded his judgment.

When he heard gravel shuffle, he looked up to see Tendou land just away from the crater his last _Shinra Tensei _formed. His hard gazed stared into the distance. Naruto tried to crane his neck to look behind him. Worry entered his mind as he realized the destination of their gaze, the ruins of the Hokage tower.

He felt his eyes widen further and pupils dilate when he heard a child's scream. With renewed vigor, he struggled against the rods pinning him to the ruined lot. Even with senjutsu, he felt weak. He was helpless to help his village. He was helpless to save the child the remaining Pein was suddenly fixated on. Then he heard a phrase he didn't know to hope contrary to.

"What is the Hachibi no Ushi doing here?" A small bit of confusion crept into Tendou's voice. It was obvious Nagato wasn't expecting to run across _both_ Akatsuki's remaining quarry. The child's cry subsided slightly, and the weight of the bijuu's chakra lessened. Tendou nodded in understanding. "I see."

He looked to Naruto for a moment as if evaluating him. The moment passed quickly, and the monstrous entity leapt away with an intense push of chakra. The blond genin was pelted with dirt, gravel, and bits of buildings. As he spat debris, he felt another chakra approaching.

Kanaeru knelt down as she approached her nephew, skidding on bare knees the last small distance. She ignored jagged rocks cutting into her flesh as she wrapped him in a fierce hug. Surprised at her actions, his body tensed. "Are you okay, kit?" Genuine worry echoed her churning chakra.

"I'm fine." He blinked, surprised at his own calmness. "Don't worry about me. Help Hinata-chan." Despite his pain, his first priority was his injured friend. He cared for her greatly; though, her confession hadn't fully sunk in. As much as he hated to admit it, he had bigger concerns at the moment.

Kanaeru shook her head. It wasn't an adamant refusal; he noted. She managed to cut off any argument by placing a finger to his lips. "She'll live, and Pein will forget about her as long as he can get you out of here." She looked past him to see a shadow user pinning him down. It was a temporary solution at best.

"He threatened to kill her and _everybody in Konoha_!" Her attention snapped right back to him. "He wasn't kidding! He could do it, and there's not a thing I can do!" He shook his head. "He just keeps getting stronger, and I can't use senjutsu forever…" He looked into her eyes, tears already welling. "Save Hinata-chan and get her out of here. He might forget about her and Konoha if he knows he can't bring me that pain."

A loud crack echoed through the war torn lot. It reverberated through the crater the prone figure of Hinata laid. Naruto looked up, wide-eyed from shock, as his red cheek throbbed in dull pain. He couldn't rub his cheek, and his eyes were glued to the quivering hand which just struck him.

Kanaeru hung her head. Her bangs shadowed her eyes, and her entire body shook. "Uzumaki Naruto doesn't give up." His eyes fixated on where hers were, hidden as they were. "Uzumaki Naruto is unpredictable. Uzumaki Naruto is tough, but he's invincible when his friends are in danger." She lifted her face, tears digging trails through the dirt on her face.

She tilted her face to one side as she forced a weak smile to her lips. "Do you know where I heard all that?" She didn't need an answer; his eyes were enough. His wide, curious eyes begged her for an answer. "You idiot, those words are from your friends. Sasame and Isaribi had nothing but praise for you while I was traveling with them."

Naruto looked down, feeling a bit of shame. A true smile graced Kanaeru's lips when she felt understanding flow through his chakra. She looked past him again to see Shikamaru thrown across the street to another ruined rooftop. As Chouji engaged Tendou, she knew there was little time left. "If senjutsu isn't enough, use your guts, kit!"

As he blinked in confusion, she rose and bit her thumb. She spread blood across her broken and battered chain-whip. It glowed like magma as she concentrated her chakra into it. She focused and forced all elemental chakra from her technique then closed her eyes. With a twist of her wrist, her whip lashed out and dug into the earth.

To Naruto, her movements looked like a dance. From what he remembered training with Jiraiya, Kanaeru was definitely performing some kind of ritual. She etched seals into the ground, but he recognized some as runes and glyphs the eldest toads talked about. He had to wonder how any ninja knew such ancient secrets, but such thoughts were driven from his mind quickly.

He felt the bijuu sealed within him react to the power emanating from the seal forming around him. He felt animalistic instincts welling from the pit of his stomach. He felt the red chakra and associated transformation. He fought it, but the seals and ritual seemed to make it stronger. Very soon, the world around him blacked out.

* * *

"Kit, what have you done?!" Naruto blinked as the large, red fox bellowed. He was obviously irritated. His chakra was also erratic. "I can feel the seal changing! My chakra…!" He didn't continue as he clenched his eyes shut in pain.

The jinchuuriki was about to say something when a bright glow caught his attention. He looked down to see the same seal Kanaeru was drawing in reality etched into the granite under his feet and holding water in his mindscape. The water bubbled and steamed, but he felt no heat.

Angry laughter echoed through the sewer-like mindscape. The jinchuuriki looked to the sealed fox as his entire body shook with amusement. His breathing grew labored as a choker appeared and tightened around his neck, but his laughter only grew louder. The symbol for _Fuuinkougi _appeared on the front of the collar, and it glowed brightly.

A cloak of chakra appeared around Kyuubi no Kitsune. It bubbled and steamed, but he could feel no heat coming off the enormous chakra entity. The same carving appeared under the great beast, and his laughter burst out like a solid object, rocking the room violently.

Naruto almost fell, but he could only stare wide-eyed at the odd display. He was at a complete loss for words. Not only was his tenant acting weird, his concern had melted to mirth almost as quickly as he had appeared. He didn't know what Kanaeru was up to, but he was worried about the stability of the seal.

"Oh, now _this_ ought to be interesting!" The bijuu managed to speak clearly even as he laughed. "Hey kit, that wannabe god hurt your friend; didn't he? She likes you a lot; doesn't she?" His lips slit into an impossibly wide grin. "Let me at him, kit. Let me rip him to shreds. Let me feast on his entrails."

His lips parted in raucous laughter as he awaited an answer. When none came, all laughter suddenly stopped. Deadly silence pervaded the tunnels as echoes simply ceased and tremors died. "Answer me, kit!" His voice bellowed and commanded an affirmative.

Before he could answer, the sounds of battle reached his ears. Just as quickly, his mindscape faded from around him. No, it shattered like mirrors, briefly showing reflections of his altered appearance. His canines were elongated, and his whisker-like scars were deep and drawn out. His face was slightly fox-like, and he noticed tufts of hair sticking out like ears.

When shards like glass fell and shattered, he saw Kanaeru fighting Tendou. Her chain-whip was all but shattered, and she was covered in cuts and bruises. She held an arm limp at her side, and it bent at an awkward angle. Her breathing was heavy as she held back her last resort. She couldn't risk it while he was holding an innocent life under his arm.

Somehow, the girl was still fully aware as she was held aloft. Her face was covered in blood not her own. Her red hair was matted by blood, sweat and tears. Her eyes were wide with fright, and her dilated pupils spoke volumes of her distress. Seeing her in such a state, Naruto stretched out his senjutsu-enhanced senses.

Shikamaru was barely alive. He wasn't sure he could feel Chouji. Sakura and Ino were nearby, but their chakra flickered weakly as they applied their medical techniques. Tsunade and Shizune were unconscious, the former too close to death for his liking. Rikka's chakra was weak, but she was definitely alive and conscious.

Hinata's condition was unchanged.

"I never expected to have to kill one of your clan here." Tendou said calmly as he slowly approached Kanaeru. Naruto didn't know when it happened, but she was standing in front of him. Her jaw quivered as she tried to retort, but the last Pein continued without paying any heed. "I suppose you came for the bijuu inside that boy, but I'm afraid I need them for my own plans."

He closed the gap between them quickly, and she didn't have time to utter a reply. Naruto's eyes went wide when he saw a katana emerge from her back. As blood dripped off the tip, he heard her laugh. "Even if you _can_ take me out, I'm not letting you take my family!"

Tendou jumped back, katana in hand, as a fist impacted the ground he once stood on. A crater formed and spread out from the force. Kanaeru attempted to follow through, but her strength gave out. As she fell face first into the dirt, she released a broken breath. "I'm sorry…my Naru-chan…" She tried to move her good arm to force herself up, but her muscles refused to listen to her.

Tendou and Naruto looked to the red-headed child as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "To have to kill a child…" He wiped the blood from her face with his cloak and spoke as she sobbed. "Do not fret for your sacrifice will bring peace to this world."

Naruto struggled against the rods, but he was so enraged he didn't notice that one at a shoulder had been loosened. "Let her go!" He bellowed. His voice was already at a lower-pitch as a growl stretched out his words. The fringe of his hair was highlighted red, but it was hard to tell if it was from chakra or something else.

Tendou only watched as the lines of the boy's face hardened. He idly noted that he didn't just look feral; he looked ready to kill. He sighed with a hint of disappointment. Was this apprentice of Jiraiya really as stupid as he sounded? The boy's struggle was completely pointless.

After a long moment, he finally shook his head. "Why should I do that? I hold all the pieces, and you are paralyzed and helpless." He paused to stare pointedly at his quarry. "_You_ are in no position to make demands. Very soon, I will have the Kyuubi no Kitsune and Hachibi no Ushi, this village will be gone, and the world will be one step closer to peace."

Naruto's face contorted into confused anger. "'peace'?! How's any of _this_ supposed to bring peace?!" He struggled against the rods pinning him down in a vain attempt to point out the state of his hometown, not even noting one moving with surprising ease. "All you want to do is use the accursed bijuu for some weapon of yours!"

Nagato knew the youth was Jiraiya's apprentice, but he was still mildly taken aback. It didn't matter to him how much the boy knew, however. Instead, he found himself mildly amused that the boy already knew his lot in life. Still, he didn't understand pain. As a fellow apprentice of Jiraiya, he wanted to know what the boy thought of peace.

Tendou shook his head. "This world of ninja is rotten, and I will tear it down and build it anew. I am the deity this world has been waiting for to deliver it into an era of peace." He sheathed his katana as he listened to the blond rant.

Naruto was unimpressed. "Yeah? Well I ain't buying it! You want to build a weapon to make it impossible for anybody to oppose you! How's that peace? That's just ruling people with fear!"

Tendou nodded. "Perhaps, but people can live without fear of losing their lives to war. In the end, people will be happy living lives of peace devoid of war." He paused only a moment to evaluate his quarry's expression. "No matter how much you or anybody else might despise it, I have a plan, Uzumaki Naruto. Tell me, do you? Did Jiraiya?"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, to say he had an answer. Not even a breath escaped his throat. His gaze fell and he searched his mind for something, _anything_, to say. He knew Hinata remained in danger and Kanaeru was near death because of him, and he couldn't answer such a simple question! Worse, an innocent child was going to be made a pawn of his sick plans! There had to be something Jiraiya taught him!

"I see." Tendou said after a long moment of silence. "You disappoint me, Uzumaki Naruto. I was told you were quick on your feet and loved your friends more than your own life. If you can't even think on your own…" He paused to turn around. He continued as he walked to the crater he left to retrieve the child. "You've forfeited this girl's life." Though he held the red-haired girl, Naruto knew who he meant.

Tendou walked leisurely into the crater and picked Hinata up by her head. He observed her for a moment as she struggled against his grip, but she was too weak to really oppose him. Still, he was curious why she wasn't more defiant. He had seen shinobi of the leaf defy logic and fight on pure guts. As much as he hated Konoha, he was forced to acknowledge that many _did_ fight for others, like Jiraiya.

He walked out of the crater. Hinata's limp figure swung like a pendulum under his harsh grip. He adjusted the red-haired girl once he passed the crater's ledge. She continued to sob, but she was much quieter than earlier. However, red chakra was slowly seeping out of her. He noted tufts of her hair darkening and hardening into bullhorn-like protrusions.

He shook his head. She was in no condition to run. Her emotions were boiling beneath the surface, but she didn't know how to control them properly. She didn't even have the necessary training to control chakra. Without the essential training, her nature was wild and untamed. He set her down; she was no threat.

He drew his katana and carefully scrutinized the Hyuuga he held in his grasp. She was young, and her eyes spoke something of pain. He empathized with familial loss, but he could feel pain he wasn't familiar with. Was it abuse? Her pain was still less than his. She couldn't understand the purpose of pain, and she didn't see him as a deity.

He was about to draw his katana back to take aim when he felt a chakra bearing down on him. The intent to kill was intense enough to startle him. He turned and parried the first strike. He tossed his captive before the second, and he jumped away as a third came from an impossible angle.

He cut down the _Kage Bushin_ before the attacker had an opportunity to capitalize on temporarily outnumbering him. As he analyzed his new opponent, he was forced to wonder where she came from. She was definitely ANBU, and he smelled Hyuuga on her. He had no doubt she was from the prideful clan, but she attacked with such rage and power he almost, _almost_, doubted it.

Hawk stared down her opponent. Her mask was badly cracked, and slivers were falling from her face. Beneath, a scarred visage could almost be scene. One eye and her scarred mouth were clearly displayed, and her lips curled angrily as she spoke. "Put. Hinata-sama. Down." She punctuated her words with spikes of chakra, strained and stressed chakra.

Tendou shook his head. Were all shinobi of the leaf as dense as the blond jinchuuriki? Instead of letting her take his gesture as an answer, he spoke aloud. "She is necessary to show this boy true Pein. Nobody, including you, can stop me." He paused as he considered her features. "Don't worry, you'll join her soon."

She was about to rush him when she heard a tiny voice. She paused in her reckless charge, instantly recognizing the voice she could never forget. "Tsuba-chan…?" Hinata's voice was strained, small and weak. She was exhausted, and her chakra reserves were low. Even if she wanted to, she had no fight left in her. "Tsuba-chan…is that you?"

Hawk nodded. She had hoped her name, face, and presence was long forgotten. She closed her eyes remorsefully as she pushed the lump out of her throat. When she opened them, they were locked onto Tendou's in a resolute glower. "Yes Hinata-sama, I'm here. Tsubaki will always be there for you."

Ignoring the warning signs her body was giving her, she rushed in. Tsubaki, Hawk commander of ANBU, ignored her training. She ignored her orders, directly from Tsunade to stay away from Pein. Her eyes focused on the remaining Pein instead. He was tormenting Hinata. _"He is tormenting precious Hinata, and he is going to **pay**!"_ Reason was lost to her.

She thrust a traditional juuken strike to his chest, and she immediately knew she didn't stand a chance. A simple maneuver allowed Tendou to slice a tendon from her elbow. Tsubaki spun madly, and an Achilles tendon was bisected. She fell to one knee and drew her katana from her scabbard. He planted her face in the dirt.

"I will allow you one final honor. _After_ I send your mistress to the next world, I'll send you to join her. You won't have to tell your clan head of your failure." He calmly walked to where the adult Hyuuga laid the teenage heir. He ignored protests to put her down, leaver her alone, et cetera… He simply picked her up by her head again.

Before turning to face Naruto, Kanaeru, and Tsubaki, he sent a quick glance to Gayt and Star. They hadn't moved in a while, but something else was bothering him. In the back of his mind, something felt a little off. It went against logic, but he almost thought he heard Hinata call to the ANBU captain from two, different directions.

He analyzed the captive heir. She had no strength left to fight. She merely swung helplessly under his rough grip. As he fully faced the audience for the execution, he drew his katana back. He wondered how a torturous soul, like Orochimaru, might feel at such a moment. The warmonger would probably feel unduly proud. He would feel pleasure in causing pain.

Nagato scoffed at the very notion. Pain wasn't something to find pleasure in. It was something to use to cause growth. It was necessary to ascend to a higher plane of enlightenment. It was necessary for him to attain godhood, and it was something the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune needed to understand.

He took careful aim to ensure a quick, painless death. He stretched his senses out to ensure he wasn't going to be interrupted again. He wanted no more surprises, even if finding the Hachibi no Ushi's jinchuuriki was a pleasant one. The strange armored warrior and his human-like creature hadn't moved, and nobody _new_ was near by.

Apathetically, he thrust his katana forward. Without resistance, it cut through the back of her neck and emerged out of her throat. She twitched momentarily as her spine was severed, halting motor functions. She couldn't gurgle a last breath or scream as her esophagus was also severed. He held her aloft for a moment as her body swung ominously like a pendulum from both breeze and final muscle spasms.

Then unceremoniously, he released his grip from her head and let her slide off his blade. He noted the lack of resistance he felt, but he was more interested in his quarry's sudden and drastic change. He watched the rage-filled entity with the same impassive gaze he had as he snuffed out life.

Naruto pawed the ground as he stood on all fours. Six tails erratically swung behind him as a pelt of red chakra boiled and sizzled. The self-proclaimed god didn't seem impressed by the display before him. He didn't back away or prepare for battle. He stared dispassionately at the rage-driven chakra entity.

* * *

Karin's eyes went wide as her head jerked back. She stared into the distance, dumbfounded and stammering for the right words. Sasuke noticed the change in her mood immediately, and he was short of patience. "What is it, Karin?"

She opened her mouth to open, but promptly shut it with a click. She concentrated on the feeling she just had. "Well, I don't know... The Hyuuga that was fighting...I can't sense 'em. It's like...whoever it was...just disappeared." She didn't like the idea of being perplexed.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously. As he focused chakra to his legs, Madara decided to speak up. "That's not what we agreed to, Sasuke-kun." He didn't even turn to face the teenage shinobi as he continued. "If the Hyuuga your interested in dies, it's all part of the game. We'll see what Pein does from here." An amused undertone entered his voice. "Besides, isn't there _another _Hyuuga you can use?"

Sasuke hated to admit it, but there was little he could do against his ancestor. If he didn't have Naruto and one of only _two_ Hyuuga he knew, reviving his clan was going to be more difficult. He could do it himself with a female, but revival would be slow. He forcibly calmed, and relaxed his muscles. As his chakra returned to normal, he concentrated on Karin. "Is she _dead_ or not, Karin?"

She nodded, slowly. "Yeah… I can't sense her chakra anymore. Naruto's chakra spiked, and it's…tainted. I can…_sense_ the rage and killing intent in it." She waited for Madara's reaction. She knew Sasuke was well aware of her abilities. When she received none, she continued with only a slightly annoyed pitch to her tone. "I think his bijuu is taking over. He has a _lot_ more chakra than a moment ago." She looked to Sasuke. "He's mad. I don't mean just normal mad; I mean intense enough to permeate his chakra."

He nodded. "That's enough, Karin." He glared vehemently at his elder. "I'm certain whoever Pein killed was close enough to that idiot for him to dig deep into Kyuubi's chakra." He couldn't guarantee it was either Hinata or Neji, but he couldn't take changes. "Suigetsu, initiate our secondary plan."

Before Madara could say anything, he dispersed into water and absorbed into the ground. The Uchiha elder merely chuckled. His revealed eye remained focused on the village in the distance. "Very good, Sasuke-kun. You're surprisingly prepared." He nodded in interest. "You continue to intrigue me."

Sasuke knew better than to take his back-handed compliment as anything more than an insult. If Madara was intrigued, it was for his own benefit only. Hawk was in a great deal of danger if the Uchiha elder ever decided they were of no more use. He narrowed his eyes. It wasn't a new realization, but he had the feeling a new mission was coming their way.

* * *

The pressure was intense, and the shockwave that followed was something they were not ready for. Even Gai was thrown from the tree branches they were racing across to the ground. Most managed to land on their feet, but some were forced to roll to keep from eating dirt. They looked back to the village in concern.

"What was that?!" Kiba nearly yelled in surprise. Beside him, Akamaru yelped in concern. The canine-like shinobi felt his eyes go wide, and he nearly bit his tongue when he translated what his partner said. "That's _Naruto_?!" He whistled. "Man, musta gone off the deep end."

"I suspect a horrific event has caused his transformation." Shino quietly observed as his insects relayed the same information he was sure Akamaru gave Kiba. He turned to curious onlookers who did not share such astute senses. "Naruto draws on tainted chakra. He may no longer be in control of his faculties."

Inoichi heaved a sigh. "What's that kid gone and gotten himself into, this time?" He shook his head. Releasing the bijuu's chakra inside the village was _not_ going to do any good for his reputation. As he was about to continue, he felt Katsuyu tense on his shoulder. He looked to the fraction of the great slug awaiting her words.

She began carefully and slowly. "Tsunade-sama has passed out from chakra exhaustion. It is strange, but I have new casualties to report." She paused. "I'll get to that later. For now, Yuuhi Rikka will update us on the situation." She went silent and blinked her eyes as she waited.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." Rikka started hesitantly. A sad tinge echoed through her voice. Strangely, she was quiet and solemn. She continued before anybody could interrupt. "Hinata fought bravely to defend Naruto, but…" They felt more than heard her sob. It was like a physical slap to the face.

They felt the odd urge to look to the sky, and there they saw a worrisome sight. The midday sun was stained red as crimson blood. "Naruto…" Rikka paused to collect her thoughts. "Naruto jumped into a six-tailed state." She waited for surprised gasps to work their way out.

"Pein is having a hard time defending against him in the village. You guys should hurry up and find his main body. I'm not sure how long Naruto can last." Again, her sob was like a physical slap to the face. Her emotions seemed to be breaking partway through her chakra limiter. "Katsuyu says…says his body's breaking apart!"

"Please!" They felt the weight of her plea like added pressure, and their breathing became labored. "Hurry! Find and punish the man responsible! Hinata… Hinata…" They felt her heartfelt tears. "She's dead!" Unaware, she pushed her emotional state through her chakra limited. The full weight of her sadness and despair pushed their way onto each of their minds.

Then they felt the rage. Rikka was enraged, but they felt another's… They were certain they didn't feel Naruto's rage through the chakra link Rikka and Katsuyu created. Instead, they were certain the rage was familial in nature… They looked up in recognition.

Not too far away, they felt a team catching up to them. Team Gai wasn't very far away, and they were gaining at breakneck speeds. Neji led the way as he tore through foliage. His countenance was the definition of rage. His eyes seemed to boil with rage, and his scowl was deep and filled with hate. The Hyuuga prodigy was on the warpath.

Behind him, Tenten and even Lee barely managed to keep pace. They were falling slowly behind, but they were admirably not falling too short. Before they could fall further behind, Gai leapt into the trees and grabbed Neji out of midair. He was not about to let his students rush into certain death.

He didn't say anything as the usually stoic prodigy squirmed and threw insults. He remained silent as Tenten and Lee stared at him questioningly. He simply continued to hold his student aloft as the rage boiled out of him. He knew, _knew_, his students would come face-to-face with the shinigami if they continued forward.

It pained him, but they could not avenge a gentle shinobi's life.

Shikaku and Inoichi approached and gently rubbed the shoulders of the teammates left to watch. It was a hard sight to behold. They knew how it felt to watch a friend and teammate go through the throws of pain, regret, remorse, guilt, hatred, denial, and manic desire to maim, kill, and destroy.

* * *

Kanaeru held her bleeding gut as she forced herself to sit and watch. She glared harshly at Gayt and Star, who remained unmoving. Unflinchingly, they returned her gaze. She elected to watch her nephew struggle with Pein and with himself. Soon, very soon, he would face a different kind of trial.

Naruto could no longer be considered Uzumaki Naruto. He was something else entirely. The red chakra around him was thick enough to take on a physical presence. It was like a thick pelt, an impenetrable armor. If anything, he was like the Kyuubi no Kitsune reborn. The human was lost under the poisonous, rage-filled chakra. Every negative emotion known to the blond genin was brought boiling to the surface.

Tendou was forced to retreat. He couldn't touch the chakra. His first attempt to quell the raging beast nearly burned his arm off. He was lucky to get away sleeveless and with first-degree burns on his hand and wrist. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.

He twisted and dodged until he was directly between the beast and Hokage tower. He wondered if enough humanity was left to stay more destructive tendencies. As the beast gathered charka into a dense ball, he knew his answer. He held his hands out, fingers outstretched, and concentrated on his powerful technique.

The beast swallowed the dense ball of chakra and grew plump. For a moment, the fat beast sunk into the ground. Its density was too great for the ruined lot. With a ferocious bellow, it shrank to normal size and grew a seventh then eighth tail. Tendou felt a foreign emotion touch his mind from Nagato, fear. Nevertheless, he stood his ground.

The great beast leapt at him, and Tendou felt his pupils dilate. His eyes did not widen in his surprise, but he sent out a pulse of _Shinra Tensei_. He was certain the great beast would be blown away. He was surprised when it instead hung aloft _far_ too close for comfort. It could easily rake his entire body.

_"You think that would work on **me**?!"_ The Kyuubi bellowed within the shared mindscape. His words still couldn't reach reality, but he felt in perfectly control of the situation. His host felt unadulterated _rage_, and the dark, negative emotion allowed him to creep in and take control of his muscles and reactions. It was odd, and it made him seem like a mindless drone attacking misguided.

Tendou suddenly felt pressure on him. It was familiar and not at the same time. He had only pushed it out before, never received it. With a renewed push, he was sent sailing threw the air and into the distant cliff face. He barely missed slamming into the shelters hidden behind the First and Second's faces. The Third's were unoccupied and freshly revealed to the world. There was nothing behind the Fourth and Fifth's.

"I underestimated you, Kyuubi no Kitsune. You took whatever that Hyuuga girl did and repeated it." He leapt out of the newly formed crater in time to avoid two claws dissecting him. He watched as the remains of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth's faces fell to the forest below. "However, you still cannot win like this. Perhaps you have come to understand true Pein, but you are no deity."

He leapt from where he was standing as the great beast pounced on his position. He turned and fled into the forest. _"Unfortunately, I can't beat you here. I must get closer and draw even greater power. You will see my ability to create a moon. You, Kyuubi no Kitsune, will soon know your place. Come, become a tool for peace instead of war."_

_"Come back here, human! Let me feast on you until there are only bones left! Let me sip the marrow from your discarded corpse! Don't be afraid! I'll make your death as painful as you so seem to enjoy!"_ Kyuubi laughed haughtily from within the mindscape. _"To think that little vixen would show me such a useful jutsu. I'll remember you. I'll burn your image into kit's mind, if he survives this."_

They moved deeper into the forest, and the great beast only relished in the pursuit. His prey was easy to follow. His sent was unique, and his chakra was not suppressed. He didn't even _try_ to disguise his trail. It was like tracking a human toddler. _"Who'd have thought Suiton was so useful. It was her primary, but her eyes gave her a distinct advantage."_

The Kyuubi analyzed the situation surprisingly well for moving at a maddening pace. Unlike humans, he didn't succumb to adrenaline so easily. His mind was still lucid even if the body was not. He felt Naruto's heart pump furiously to keep up the pace, and his muscles quaked with pain. Still, he continued to chase his quarry with little else on his mind but to end the pain and suffering.

_"She actually took a mind/space jutsu and moved it through her own body. Doton, however, prevented her from any kind of control. She was forced to ground the unnatural energy. Fuuton, however, was much more accommodating. I just had to hold it down until the direction was just right and force was taut. Foolish human, you didn't even see your own weakness!"_

Finally, he saw his prey enter a clearing and come to a complete stop. _"Oh, you realize your destiny and have come to face it head on? Well, come at me human! Give me a party I'll remember!"_ He forced instinct into Naruto's muscles. The great beast pounced at Tendou with maw wide and claws outstretched. The glorious hunt was at an end.

The last remaining Pein stretched his palms out, but he did not take aim at the great beast approaching. "You have sunk to new depths of stupidity, Uzumaki Naruto. You let the beast control your mind without even attempting to tame it. You fall at the hands of the great deity of peace, _Shinra Tensei_!"

Deep grooves carved into the earth. Trees around the clearing heaved to and fro as the earth was rent beneath them. Great lesions surrounded the shadow of the great beast, and Tendou was lifted high into the air by a sudden pillar of earth. From the swaths, chunks of earth hurdled at the airborne chakra entity.

The great beast bellowed and yowled as earth pelted and surrounded it. The human encased within the charka armor remained unharmed by the technique, but he was under constant pain from the poisonous, negative chakra anyway.

Tendou looked on unremorsefully. "Look, beast, as this deity creates a new moon of peace."

* * *

I am terribly, awfully, agonizingly sorry this chapter update is so late! Yes, I realize it is _two weeks_ late! I had several things come up, and an omake was impossible to come up with. I explain all of it in my new forum. I promise it makes a lot more sense explained there than I ever could here. I also have a new poll out, and I'll be running it until the end of the year or an overwhelming majority votes for one of the choices, whichever comes first.

Anyway, a lot happens here. Yes, I am still Dragon Against Evil. My account was _not_ hacked to bring you this update, and I will be hiding in a hole for the next two weeks...or until I can get a new update out. I might be persuaded to release an update early to make up for my absurdly long absence, but flames _will not_ help. Though, I have a feeling some may well figure out whatever I have up my sleeves. Um, enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,003  
Story Page Count: 16.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

shinigami - death god: Basically, you're one touch away from death if you meet one.

**Version 2.0:** I carefully come of hiding to deliver upon you..._horizontal rulers!_ I have absolutely no idea how I missed those, but the flow is terrible without them. No other major changes!


	30. Chapter 27: Perfect People

TimeShifter: I have no idea where you got _Star Wars_, honestly... Anyway, I answer many questions this chapter and create many more in their place. As for Naruto going Kyuubi, there's a very good reason. Not explained this chapter...or next...or very soon really, but it will be explained. I have very important explanations for _everything_. Unfortunately, this update nearly got delayed as much as the last one...for very different reasons.

* * *

**Chapter 27:  
Perfect People  
**

Madara smirked under his mask. "Oh, I didn't think he'd do _that_." He felt team Hawk's heated glares, but he paid them little mind. He was more interested in the outcome of the battle between Pein and Kyuubi no Kitsune. "He must have grown frustrated." He turned to face Sasuke. "Well, it doesn't look like Naruto'll be reviving a fresh Uchiha clan."

"I-I still feel his chakra!" Karin practically yelled.

The Uchiha elder regarded her for a moment before answering. "Yes, but he's trapped in a prison he can never escape." He paused for a moment before disappearing. Before anybody realized what was happening, Sasuke was hit with…himself. Madara clicked his tongue disappointedly. "Tisk, tisk, Sasuke-kun."

As the standing figure of Sasuke faded, the real Sasuke stood and wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. For having attacks pass right through him, he had to admit his elder had a _mean_ right hook. He elected to remain silent and give the immortal an angry glower.

"Oh, don't be like that Sasuke-kun. We had a bargain, and you lost." He returned to his previous spot just as suddenly as he had moved from it previously. Facing the direction of his subordinate's battle, he suppressed a chuckle. At least Sasuke and his team were interesting. "The boy can't escape his fate. He's merely a small cog in my master plan."

* * *

Tendou impassively stared at the small 'moon' he had created. At full power, a large satellite was but a mere thought. As much as he hated to admit it, the boy had given him a challenge. His chakra was nearly depleted, and he still had two bijuu to collect. Closing his eyes, he refocused his remaining energy. There was a good chance they were waiting for him back in Konoha, and they knew what he was after.

He forced chakra into his feet and ran at full speed. He was a mere blur as he leapt through the trees. He kept his eyes on the goal. As much as he hated it, the child had to be sacrificed for the greater good of the world. Her sacrifice would ensure the ninja world crumbled. Her sacrifice would ensure a new world order, an eternal era of peace.

As the village gates came into view, he inspected the damage. The village was in ruins. It would take years to recover from the fell blow he delivered to them. However, they no longer had the manpower to pose a threat. It was doubtful they could even hold a candle to one of the weaker ninja villages, let alone Akatsuki…let alone Madara. It had taken a lot out of him, but he still somehow failed to eliminate the prideful Hyuuga clan.

As he landed in the ruined square he had fought Naruto, he put aside any thoughts of eliminating the cornerstone of Konoha's morale. Not far away, two medics sobbed over the corpse of the heiress. The clan wasn't destroyed, but he damaged their pride. As he took a step, the pink haired medic glared at him with kunai in her eyes. She was no threat, nearly drained of chakra. The blond medic next to her was in even worse condition.

He took another step forward, and his progress was halted as a recently unmasked ANBU grasped his ankle. Her face was badly scarred from burns and blades. The Byakugan of her left eye was permanently active as evidenced by her right being inactive. The same hand that grasped his ankle held a chakra seal; he presumed it was to keep her left eye from killing her.

Unceremoniously, he slammed his free leg into her side. He didn't even need _Shinra Tensei_ to shake her off. She cried out in pain as she was forced away from him. She held her bleeding side, and he imagined she was suffering from cracked and/or broken ribs. She tried to force her body up, but muscle spasms, dissected tendons, and pain kept her down.

As he turned, he was surprised to see Kanaeru standing there…smirking at him. He pointed a hand at the small red-haired child and pulled her to him. With her in arm, he was certain nobody would attack. He was uncertain he could handle too many fights if he wanted to move at full speed to retrieve the boy and return to headquarters.

As he turned to leave, Kanaeru finally spoke up. Tendou stopped and looked over his shoulder to listen. "It's a simple trial." She groaned in pain and held her stomach. "Don't get too full of yourself. You haven't won yet."

"He is trapped within my new moon of peace. Once he is at our main base, we'll extract the war beast contained within him. Sad as it is, the boy and this child will die." He paused. "No, they must die. They will be sacrificed to the moon of peace, and war will forever cease."

Without further word, he leapt away. Kanaeru stumbled before falling flat on her butt. Her smirk actually grew before she fell back to lie on her back. She released a heavy sigh, and then she angled her head enough to look at the medics kneeling over Hinata's corpse. "You really shouldn't have done that, Pein."

She remembered what happened just moments before he arrived.

* * *

Sakura and Ino rushed over to the sight of the fresh battlefield. Gayt simply indicated Kanaeru and the ANBU with a nod of his head. He was fine, and Star was recovering as a globe of light. The medics hesitated for a moment as they looked at Momiji. A girl her age…should never have witnessed such a sight. Unfortunately, she wasn't their biggest concern.

Sakura rushed for Hinata while Ino headed for Kanaeru. Tsubaki was sitting on her own power, and she was watching them intently. Strangely, a paper seal was over her left eye. They paid the minor detail little mind as they worked furiously on their patients. They might have time to think about things later. As it stood, they had a friend and an ally to save.

Ino was relieved to find that Kanaeru's wound was bad but easily treatable. Stomach wounds were notorious for how slowly and painfully they killed. She could use a small amount of chakra to repair her internal organs and not bother sealing the wound. A little pressure would keep her from bleeding out, and she could help Sakura with their fallen friend.

Sakura, however, was almost in tears the instant she saw Hinata's wound. It didn't look so bad because it wasn't bleeding much. The life, however, had already drained from the young, shy heiress' eyes. She gently placed her hands over the opening in her throat and pumped chakra into them. As she shaped healing energy, tears fell and she couldn't stop herself from sobbing.

There was nothing she could do; her friend was already gone. Naruto would be heartbroken. No, he may well become a berserker.

She looked up when Ino placed a hand on her shoulder. Her junior kneeled beside her and resisted a gag reflex. It was new to see somebody so near and dear lying lifeless. Before long, the futility set in, and they broke into helpless sobs. Kanaeru looked on sadly, but she sent a hard glare to Gayt.

It was then Pein showed himself, and his disgusting chakra almost made _her_ gag. She noticed Tsubaki angrily tear the paper seal from her eye and reach out for their common tormentor's ankle. Things broke down quickly from there…

* * *

"Nagato, you have to conserve your chakra." Konan was worried about the man she loved. He was so obsessed with his own vision of peace that she worried he lost sight of something as simple as his own health. Worse, he had used his deadliest technique _twice_. She looked at him sadly.

Nagato always looked sickly. At least his body had appeared malnourished and pale since he finished perfecting his Pein Rikudou techniques. He was _panting_ from exhaustion, all because he focused his energy into the strange machine he summoned after losing Yahiko. He said it gave him power, and she had certainly believed that when he used it to kill Hanzou.

She seriously doubted her earlier convictions.

"Where is the Konoha search party?" He purposely ignored her question. He knew how worried she got, and he was fully aware of how she felt for him. He felt the same way, had for much longer. There was something he had to accomplish, however. His best friend and first rival had left his dream on his shoulders, and he was going to make sure Yahiko's dream lived on.

Konan closed her eyes. He was ignoring her concern again. She turned away from him and reported as plainly as she could despite the pain in her heart and apparent on her face. "They'd destroyed another decoy. They obviously know what they're looking for, but they can't sense our chakra through my defenses."

Nagato nodded, pleased. "Good, our plans are moving more quickly than I had dreamed. Tendou is on his way back with both Hachibi no Ushi and Kyuubi no Kitsune." He saw her body stiffen in surprise. "Yes, Konoha was also hiding the true Hachibi no Ushi." He paused for a moment. "She's too young to witness war, yet she will help bring about its eternal end."

Konan sensed the sadness in his voice. Perhaps emotions they long thought dead were being awakened. She idly wondered if the girl reminded him of his own youth. They were fighting, after all, to ensure that no child ever lost his or her parents to future wars. Regardless, they had to stomp on any such thoughts and become deities to the new world.

* * *

Tendou's 'moon' hung ominously off the ground. It floated impossibly, resisting the pull of gravity. Every once in a while, it shuddered from the power contained within. A reddish glow peeked out from the cracks, but they were short lived with every quake. Though Tendou left it alone, it easily continued to contain the great bijuu loosed from rage.

Within the impossible sphere, Naruto was protected from the crushing pressure by dense red chakra. Though it protected and healed him, the rage continued to poison him. With terribly slow speed, his own power was painfully bringing him closer to death. His body thrashed, and the sphere shuddered with another quake.

His jaw slacked impossibly as he yowled in rage filled hatred. His body mindlessly twisted and flexed to fight the crushing pressure. The sphere didn't budge in the slightest. His body fought and squirmed. His eyes, clouded with blood, appeared as useless as they were. He could no longer perceive the outside world.

Within his mindscape, Kyuubi bellowed indignant rage. "It's not enough, kit!" He seethed as he watched Naruto. He was awash in a red sea of chakra. He stared listlessly at the ceiling. His negative emotions had burned him out, and he no longer felt anything. "Feed me more rage!"

Kyuubi's face contorted with anger, rage, hate, and peerless bloodlust. "Hate!" He yelled loud enough to send ripples across the red chakra sea. "He killed a precious person! He slaughtered people without remorse! He spat on their corpses! Burn! Burn him! Let me rend the flesh from his body! Let me drink the marrow from his bones!"

A resounding crack drew his attention. "You can't take much more, kit!" A whirlpool erupted nearby, and he snarled at it. "Your body is breaking, but your mind will be gone before you can die! You need to feed me more! Don't you want him dead?! Don't you want to exact revenge on everybody who made you feel like this?!" He paused to gauge Naruto's reaction.

Kyuubi's chakra reddened in frustration. "She said she _loved_ you!" He lowered his head as a guttural growl rippled the red chakra sea. "You can't even hear me anymore; can you kit?" He looked up only to notice the mindscape was much larger around him. "Huh?"

He looked around and twisted frantically before looking at his paw… He blinked in confusion. He was looking at human hands. He opened his mouth to speak, but he heard a female voice from behind him. "I can't let you do this to kit." He lurched in pain as a hand protruded from his chest coated in red chakra. He dully noted the chakra was shaped as claws around the human hand.

He stumbled forward and fell to his knees when the hand was extracted. Before he could turn around to face his attacker, he felt a powerful impact to the side. He flew into the far wall, and his breath evacuated his lungs in a cough. Dazed, he tried to look up but saw in triplicate.

"Idiot!" The female voice was calmer, but it was certainly angry. The red chakra sea sloshed as she walked closer. "Idiot, idiot, _idiot_!" She berated in righteous indignation. "You've brought kit to the brink of destruction, but for _what_?!" Before he could make out her features, she spun and sent a roundhouse kick to his jaw, and he went flying again.

Sprawled out face down in the red chakra sea, he fought to regain his composure. The gaping hole in his chest wasn't helping. Before he could push himself out of the churning red chakra sea, he was picked up by the seal collar. He finally came face to face with his attacker, and his eyes went wide. "Ku-Kushina?!"

She gave him a hard look. "You know very well she's dead!" She pushed him against the wall, _hard_. She ignored his pained look and sickening crack that was likely a rib. "You also know _very_ well just who I am!" She leaned in. Their noses were almost touching, and then he saw it.

It was only for a moment, but her eyes narrowed and looked distinctly fox-like. "You… You're…" He quickly broke into incomprehensible babble as he tried to wrap his mind around it. He almost missed her roll her eyes before she slammed him into the ground obscured by the red chakra sea.

"That's right; you idiot! You risked kit's life because you didn't want to believe the truth right in front of your eyes!" She shook her head angrily, and her hair fluttered in the air long enough to reveal her neck. The same seal collar he wore tightly wrapped around her neck. It smoked as if on fire, and the fair skin around the collar was inflamed with pain. "I'm your tane, idiot!"

She finally dropped him as his rage subsided, if slightly. She pulled at the seal collar uncomfortably, but it was smoking less. She looked angrily at him as he desperately fought to just sit. The water sloshed around his violent actions until he finally settled down enough to look up at her. He panted as he studied her features.

"You know perfectly well why I look like this _and_ why I'm showing up now." He nodded understanding her words. She growled before looking over her shoulder to Naruto. "If I let you go any further, kit would die before we could rescue the others." She looked at him sadly. "Your mind is filled with so many negative memories and emotions…"

"It's Minato's fault!" He barked at her. "If that…_man_…" He hesitated in angry hatred. "…had done everything he could to protect Kushina, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place! He trusted that _snake_, and he brought the Uchiha brat to us!" His rage redoubled, but a stern look from the Kushina lookalike reminded him of his position.

"I was hoping to absorb my rightful powers more slowly, but things have accelerated unexpectedly." She ignored any protests he might have made and walked to Naruto's side. She gingerly took his face in her hands. "I can't believe how blind you were…" She sighed. "No, I suppose I should say how blind _I_ was."

She tilted Naruto's face, so he could look at it. "He looks exactly like Minato, but he resembles Kushina _so_ much." She shook her head as his jaw hung slack and realization lit his eyes. "Kanaeru gave me the chance to set things right." She stood between him and Naruto defensively. "Now, disappear before you do any more harm!"

"Are you joking?!" His voice resounded through the mindscape like a yowl. To her credit, she didn't cringe under his powerful voice. "Pein's still alive! _He's_ the one that caused kit pain! If I don't kill him now, things'll only get worse!" He tried to stand, but he slid before he could even put weight on his arms.

She shook her head in disappointment. "We're one and the same. You weren't supposed to exist like this. I want the same thing you do, but _I_ have the yin and yang in our powers and memories that you lacked." She paused to stare pleadingly into his eyes. "Don't you see? Kanaeru fixed what Minato didn't know he broke."

He bellowed in pain and anger. Surrounded by powerful red chakra, he managed to stand. The hole in his chest had expanded, but it wasn't bleeding. Unnoticed a red chakra string connected him to his female counterpart. He rushed forward, ready to drive his claws into her.

She sighed despairingly before disappearing from his vision. Before he could hear the sloshing accompanying her footsteps, she drove a claw through his stomach. He fell face forward into the red chakra sea. It was oddly calm he noted idly. As he floated face first, he caught her foot in the corner of his eye before it slammed into his face.

"I guess I have to take what's rightfully mine the hard way." She sighed. "We've never had a situation like this, so I wasn't expecting anything like having to deal with this." She knelt down beside him. "You're too weak to fight back, and I've already taken most of your chakra." She shook her head. "I guess I should correct myself." She paused. "I've already taken most of _my_ chakra."

He panted as he tried pushing himself into a seated position. She was right. She was already a lot stronger than him, and she was acting on more than pure instinct. Closing his eyes, he tried to take advantage of what control he had left in Naruto. He felt the boy's body clearly through the connection. After only a moment, he opened his eyes in astonishment.

He looked to the Kushina lookalike. She wore a miserable expression. She looked ready to cry. "Do you see what you've been doing to him, now?" She threw an arm to her side in rage, and he instinctively flinched. "His muscles are sore and nearly broken down! His bones are brittle and ready to break!" She snarled; her upper lip twitched in anger. "Now, back down." Her words were punctuated for emphasis.

Breathing ragged, he panted and leaned his head back. He looked to the mindscape's ceiling only to see the damage he'd done. It looked like a broken mirror, reflecting a dark abyss. He was too tired and deranged to tell if he was looking at lighting or mental synapses flickering across the void. "He-He really is Kushina's kit… Isn't he?"

Before she could respond, his body broke down and the last of his essence flowed into her. "Idiot, that's what I've been saying all along." As she turned around, her body took on more fox-like attributes. Two ears protruded from her red mane. Nine red tails swooshed behind her. She sighed as she walked to Naruto one more time.

"Hello Uzumaki Naruto. I'm the bijuu called Kyuubi no Kitsune, and you're my jinchuuriki." She looked at his listless figure remorsefully. "You've lost something valuable and irreplaceable, but not everything's so bad." She smiled sadly. "She said she loved you." She shook her head. "She's always _shown_ she loves you, but she finally gathered the courage to speak her mind."

"You're parents are dead and gone… Don't let your precious people down. Don't let them die… Don't you _dare_ die on them!" She cupped his face with her hands. "Show Kanae-chan her gift wasn't wasted. Show the village that they _need_ you. Show everybody that the trust they placed in you wasn't mislaid. You are their hope now. You want to be Hokage, right?"

"What's the point?" Naruto finally responded. His eyes were lifeless, and his body remained listless. He continued to stare at the ceiling, and it was to tell if he had actually spoken. "She's dead…" He turned hate filled and hurting eyes to her. "Hinata-chan's dead and there was _nothing_ I could do for her!" The red chakra sea surrounding them churned and boiled once again.

A resounding clap rang through his mindscape, and the red chakra sea was instantly calm again. He held a hand to his face in surprise. His cheek throbbed in pain from the stern slap she delivered to him. He didn't know what to say, and his real body ceased squirming and fighting the sphere's pressure.

"If she's dead, don't let her death be in vain! Show her you value the life she put before her own!" She shook her head. Before he could reply, a strangely creepy smile took over her features. "Besides, do you really _know_ she's dead?"

"Huh...?" He responded dumbly and watched her.

She rolled her eyes and pouted. "You are helpless…" Her smirk returned. "I guess you just remind me of your parents, then." She put a finger to his lips before he could reply. "Before you ask any questions, just reach out your feelings. You didn't really think about it before because it was amplified by senjutsu, but you easily read others' chakra."

He blinked in confusion, but he still couldn't reply. She stood erect and sighed in irritation. "You have a legacy to uphold, kit." He blinked in confusion, but anger soon contorted his face as he placed 'kit' with the collar around her neck. "Oh, come off it. I'm trying to help. Now, just imagine Hinata's chakra and reach out with your feelings."

He looked at her suspiciously, but, in the end, he complied. He closed his eyes and imagined Hinata's distinct chakra. He remembered it because he always associated it with the dark, creepy girl on his list of precious people. When she tried to help him during the first part of the chunin exams, he noted it. When Neji unjustly beat her to within an inch of her life, he vowed upon it as much as upon her blood. When she encouraged him before his match with the smug prodigy, he fully memorized it.

His eyes opened in amazement. He still felt it… "I can feel it…" It was strange. He saw the katana erupt from her throat and heard the finality of her heart stop. Pein even seemed satisfied that he'd killed her. There was no way he'd mistake her chakra disappearing… He blinked in confusion.

She spoke his thoughts aloud. "You're thinking, 'Wait, did I feel her chakra fade away, or was I just engulfed by Kyuubi's rage filled chakra?'" She walked closer, and he tried to back away. He didn't notice he was still held aloft by red chakra. Though it was subsiding, he hadn't let go of his negative emotions yet.

"Don't run away from it, kit. Embrace it. Let it wrap around you and fill you with warmth." She wagged a finger at him. "It's time you learned to fight with something more than rage and hate." She took a breath, and he felt somehow lightheaded and calmer than he ever had before. She wrapped her arms around herself like a warm embrace. "She said she loved you, and she romantically fought to keep you alive."

She opened her eyes and warmly looked at him. He felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Kanae-chan shouted bravely in defiance to protect you. Your friends stood fervently behind you. Jiraiya taught you everything he knows. Kakashi proudly took you under his wing to protect you and let you grow. You have friends and loved ones, and you call them all your precious people."

The cracks in his mindscape slowly, so painfully slowly, closed. The room gained some much needed light. He took in the new woman's features for the first time. She kind of reminded him of Kanaeru, but she was more conservatively dressed. Her hair was longer, and she vaguely reminded him of someone… He couldn't place his fingers on it, but she was very familiar.

"Naruto, you can fight with senjutsu. However, you realize that's not enough. Pein is no ordinary enemy, and you still haven't actually located Nagato." She paused when he lowered his gaze. "You don't need to feel ashamed. He's very good at hiding his location, but Pein will lead you to him." She closed her eyes and nodded. "You know how, right?"

He looked up; a foxy grin adorned his face. She smirked. "My, my, already have a plan kit?" His only response was a nod, and she quickly continued. "There's another problem." He looked at her with concern. "He's probably after the other bijuu and jinchuuriki in the village."

He blinked in astonishment. "Who?! Did baa-chan find the Hachibi's jinchuuriki and bring him to Konoha?" He felt oddly excited. The only other bijuu and jinchuuriki he knew was Ichibi and Gaara. It was hard to befriend the current Kazekage, but he was certain he could make a repeat performance and save Hachibi's jinchuuriki from a self-destructive path. Well, that would depend on if he was on one anyway…

She shook her head. "I don't know. All I know is that I sensed Hachibi no Ushi while we were running on a rampage. I'm not sure if Hachibi sensed me or not, but it's a safe bet that Pein noticed the bijuu's chakra." She gave him a determined look. "You have to get free from Pein's 'new moon of peace' and save the jinchuuriki."

Naruto nodded. He felt strangely pumped up. Then again, he wasn't just fighting for himself. He was fighting for his village. He was fighting for his precious people. He was fighting for the jinchuuriki like him. If Pein's speech was any indication, he was fighting for the sake of the entire world. As he stood, he noticed the water looked normal and had receded. His mindscape was back to normal. Well, it was as normal as prison or sewers normal anyway.

He pumped his fist in the air. "All right, I'm ready!" He looked to the woman, standing oddly serenely nearby. "Don't think you fool me looking like that, Kyuubi." He gave her an icy gaze. "I still don't trust you. I don't know what you're up to, but I suppose I do owe you thanks." He gave her a v-sign. "Thanks for telling me Hinata-chan's waiting for me!"

With those parting words, he disappeared from his mindscape. Kyuubi looked down in disappointment. "Well, I suppose a few minutes talking isn't enough to forgive years of torture." She looked to the final resting spot of her predecessor. "I really was a fool, unable to tell who he was. Now I can only fight for the future."

* * *

When Naruto opened his eyes, he was surrounded by darkness. He felt more than saw the rocks trying to crush him. They were held off by his chakra. He closed his eyes and concentrated. No, he realized his chakra was aided by Kyuubi's chakra. However, it felt different. He couldn't put it into words, but he felt a warmth from the chakra he hadn't felt before.

He heard voices outside and stretched his senses. He heard a girl sobbing lightly, and her cries brought his resolution. He gathered the natural energy around him and took on the look of the sage. His control of senjutsu was perfect, so he shaped his chakra into his favorite technique. He felt his opponent tense as the _Rasengan_ spun and whirred to life.

He drove the Fourth's technique into the nearest surface of the sphere. It burrowed through the rock like a hot kunai through butter. When he emerged on the other side, he was already prepared for Tendou's counterattack. A hidden _Kage Bushin_ pushed him out of the way before being dispelled by a swift punch to the jaw.

As Naruto landed, five more _Kage Bushin_ emerged from the hole to challenge Tendou. The last of the Pein Rikudou tried to fight them off, but he couldn't use _Shinra Tensei_ with a hostage against so many opponents. He was driven back, and one _Kage Bushin_ managed to liberate the red-haired girl.

Frustrated, Tendou turned on the remaining _Kage Bushin_ and destroyed them by sending them into the sphere's wall with a push from _Shinra Tensei_. He turned to face the remaining clone with Hachibi no Ushi's jinchuuriki only to be confronted with Naruto and a fully formed _Rasengan_.

He flew into the giant sphere he created, and it crumbled into rubble from the force of the impact. It fell the ground along with him as it finally succumbed to the pull of gravity. As he stood, he brushed the dust from his robes and locked a scrutinizing gaze on the young shinobi.

He took careful note of how different he was from before. He was much more composed, and not an ounce of the Kyuubi's chakra seeped out. His unfamiliar chakra felt like it was pushing down on him, yet he didn't feel any killing intent. Unlike their previous altercation, Naruto was confident and felt wholly in control of the situation. In the back o his mind, Tendou realized this confrontation was going to turn out much differently than the previous two.

* * *

Kanaeru belted out raucous laughter. She received exactly what she was expecting. Sakura, Ino, and Tsubaki stared at her incredulously. Through tears, they were ready to kill her for mocking the death of a dear friend. "He's _finally_ ready to fight it out for real!" She practically sang, and the incredulous stares became laced with confusion.

"You can drop the act now, Gayt." They looked from Kanaeru to her armored guardian. He nodded and released a heavy breath. "Pein didn't realize it, but Gayt and Star are quite skilled in duplicity. They prefer a straight forward fight, but they know when and how to use sleight of hand."

To their astonishment, Kanaeru's words revealed what was hidden from their eyes. Gayt lowered his sword and released his grip on it. As it faded into the ether, they heard moaning from the crater Pein created with _Shinra Tensei_ and Hinata's body. The ledge Hinata first landed on was whole. They stared at the impossible sight as her head shifted with another moan.

"What about the little girl, Momiji?!" Sakura couldn't help but scream out. The poor girl was probably traumatized for life. As concerned as she was for her friend, she could tell from where they were that she was alive and well. Ino looked at her worriedly.

Kanaeru shook her head with a sigh. "You honestly think I'm going to let those Akatsuki scum get their hands on another jinchuuriki?" Except for Kanaeru, they looked up when they heard shuffling behind her. They saw Shion holding unconscious Momiji, and her face was alight with confusion.

"You probably didn't notice, but Momiji is the jinchuuriki of the Hachibi no Ushi." She turned and struggled to her feet. "More importantly, she's a very important family member." She took two staggering steps towards Shion, who in turn took two fearful steps back. "Gayt knew I wouldn't stand for her to come to _any_ harm, so he wrapped her in his genjutsu as well."

"It is not a traditional genjutsu, Kanaeru-sama." Gayt reminded the sumitsuki as he approached. "It uses mana instead of chakra." He stood beside her and looked at everybody present. Sakura and Ino were already tending to the injured Hinata. He suspected they would.

Kanaeru chuckled. "Of course Gayt, how could I forget?" When he didn't respond, she continued. "I'd like to learn more about that child, Demons-sama. Last I checked, you had no heir." She smiled pleasantly, hoping to disarm the daimyo priestess. She didn't want to frighten them, after all.

* * *

Karin blinked in astonishment, and everybody took notice. Madara narrowed his eyes feeling frustration creeping up on him for the first time in decades. Before he could say anything, she spoke up excitedly. "Sasuke-kun, the fight's not over yet! I can feel it! Naruto's chakra's returned to normal."

Sasuke turned to his elder. "It seems the game's not over just yet. It seems I can still use him to bring about a new Uchiha clan." He was less certain than before that the class clown could finish the fight favorably, but he knew to never put the impossible past him. He had a way of bringing about the unexpected.

Madara almost shrugged. In truth, small delays in his plans were unimportant. He could let Naruto live a bit longer. A new Uchiha clan, devoid of the taint of treachery, also didn't sound too bad to him. Still, the Kyuubi no Kitsune's jinchuuriki hadn't proved himself yet. He already lost to Pein once before. It wasn't a sure bet he could turn the tables.

_"Oh yes, there are plenty of positives to consider either way. It's a win-win situation for me, so I don't really care."_ Once he finished contemplating, he answered. "No, I suppose not Sasuke-kun." He turned his revealed eye to watch his decedent's reaction. "Whatever happens, this battle will end very soon." He chuckled at the angry glower he received. "Yes, very soon indeed…"

* * *

As Tendou rose from the rubble, Naruto spoke. "You're wrong, Nagato." He blinked when the blond called his true name. Just as quickly as his surprise was there, it was gone. "Ero-sennin told me about you. He regretted leaving you all those years ago, not knowing if you were alive or not." He shook his head, a pained expression in his eyes. "You've tainted his memory."

Tendou shook his head. "Not at all, he deserted us. If he felt regret, he could have taken us with him to ensure our safety. Instead, he left us to fend for ourselves in Rain…under Hanzou." He paused to appraise the young man standing against him. "I know what you're thinking. If you can distract me long enough, you can use that _Rasenshuriken_ of yours. It won't work."

Naruto raised his hands into a familiar hand seal. To either side, _Kage Bushin_ came into existence. "Well, we won't know unless I try, but that's not what I was thinking." He glared heatedly at the bringer of pain. "You inspired his first book, and he dedicated it to your desire to overcome the impossible."

He held his hand behind him, and his _Kage Bushin_ worked furiously to shape and manipulate chakra. The cyclonic energy raged to life just above the palm of his hand. "Well, I've dedicated myself to overcoming the impossible! I was told I could never become a ninja! I was told I could never learn the Fourth's jutsu! I was told I could never complete the Fourth's jutsu, and I was told I could never use it once I actually did!"

Tendou's eyes went wide as he looked at the powerful _Rasenshuriken_ in a new light. The legend of Konoha's Fourth was known far and wide. Singlehandedly, he wiped out entire battalions of Iwa ninja. Perhaps he could see what Jiraiya saw in the young shinobi. He was still considered a genin, but his skills obviously exceeded most jonin.

He barely noticed the _Rasenshuriken_ launched in time to avoid it. He used _Shinra Tensei_ to jump as high as he could. As his feet left the ground, he felt hands grip his ankles. He looked down to see _Kage Bushin_ latch onto him and drag him back down. His eyes narrowed. It was too soon to use his technique again.

Instead, he turned their momentum to his advantage. He ducked low and managed to get under the powerful S-rank kinjutsu. When he rose to his feet, he saw rocks drop their guise. He was surrounded by hundreds of _Kage Bushin_. He nearly stumbled backwards as he lost his footing. A blow to the back forced him into the coming horde.

Without time to think, he twisted in midair and aimed his open palms straight up. He shot out another _Shinra Tensei_. Though he barely had enough time to recharge, it was plenty to send the Naruto army into the sky. They crashed into each other and popped out of existence. He quickly regained his feet.

As he turned back to face his quarry, he found a _Rasengan_ too close for comfort. "If you hadn't given up, you could have achieved the impossible!" Naruto slammed the perfect sphere of chakra into the last of the Pein Rikudou. He heard and felt bones snap under the pressure of the powerful sphere of chakra.

Pulling back, Naruto looked at the broken and battered body that he knew had been long dead. "So, this is what Jiraiya was talking about? I had to make a choice, and Yahiko's body is lifeless once again." He bowed his head in recognition of the fallen foe. It was a hard fought battle, and it took all his wits to outmaneuver the overwhelmingly powerful entity.

He blinked in realization as his last _Kage Bushin_ popped out of existence. He looked around to find the little red-haired girl, but she was nowhere in sight. He scratched his head in confusion. "Huh, I could have sworn Pein was holding a little girl hostage."

_"Not quite, kit, but good guess."_ Naruto jumped in surprise as Kyuubi spoke through a mental connection he was _sure_ they didn't have. She explained before he could voice his question. _"Consider it a gift from Kanae-chan."_ He folded his arms and pouted. She giggled. _"Anyway, I think we can thank that armored figure. He has a lot of strange abilities, and it seems he replaced the jinchuuriki girl with a genjutsu of some sort."_

Naruto was no stranger to being fooled by illusions, but he was certain Pein had avoided Fukusaku and Shima's technique earlier. He was about to voice his concern when another question popped into his head. "Hey, you mean that little girl was Hachibi's jinchuuriki?" He was immediately saddened for her fate, but he was hopeful that she wasn't too forgone with abuse to save easily.

_"Cute, isn't she? Anyway, don't forget that you have to find Nagato now."_ She paused as just a little bit of anger crept into her voice. _"He can't be too far away. Judging by Pein's little show of power here, there's no way he could pull that off over a chakra connection unless he was close to the source."_

Naruto nodded. He hated to admit it, but he agreed. Unfortunately, he felt multiple sources. Knowing it was impossible; he knelt down and took a single rod from the fallen Yahiko. He only had one choice. When the rods were driven through his body earlier, he managed to sense clearly what direction Nagato was in. He still needed clearer instructions.

Taking a deep breath, he stabbed the rod into his hand. The flash of pain was quick as the Kyuubi's chakra quickly healed and dulled the pain. Once he was certain where he could find Nagato, he extracted the rod. He watched his wound close for a moment. "You know; I'm always amazed watching that."

Kyuubi chuckled. _"Well, I can't exactly let my jinchuuriki die."_ He was silent for a moment before he decided to take off. Before he could send chakra to his legs, she interrupted him. _"Wait, there's something I have to tell you."_ Out of curiosity, he stopped. He wasn't sure what to expect, so he decided to let the new Kyuubi lead.

_"You may have already figured this out, but I knew your parents."_ He crossed his arms and nodded. He wore a frown as he wondered where she was going. _"Well, Akatsuki also knew your parents…"_ She paused as if remembering a bad memory. _"It's why the…other Kyuubi no Kitsune you knew acted the way he did. You see, above anything else, he…I cherish family."_

Naruto nodded. He could understand where she was coming form. He never experienced what having a family was like, but he knew how important it was. It turned Sasuke into the dark, brooding ninja he was. It eventually led him towards a path of destruction with Orochimaru.

He was also very aware of Hinata and Neji's family. They were cousins, but the latter hated the former for nearly a decade. Hinata deeply loved him, her father, and sister. She desperately sought and fought for their approval. They were so important to her that she was driven into the depression he saw in her all those years ago at the chunin exams.

_"Good, you understand kit. Before you face Nagato, there's something I have to tell you about your parents and how much they cherished and loved you. The reason they died was to try to give you a future. Without their sacrifices however, the very village you live in wouldn't exist. Let me tell you about their last, precious moments together."_

Instantly, Naruto knew that 'tell' was completely inaccurate. Before him, he saw an image of two people madly in love. Her head was in the crook of his neck, and he leaned on her head as he rubbed her swollen belly lovingly. He quickly realized he was in her swollen belly. He also noticed two important details.

The woman looked exactly like Kyuubi's current form, and the man sharply resembled Konoha's Fourth Hokage. He stared disbelievingly as the last scene of their life together played out.

* * *

A beautiful, red-haired kunoichi laughed as she walked arm-in-arm with the love of her life. The blond man smiled into her eyes. He rubbed the back of his head as he wondered how he managed to catch such a beautiful woman's attention. They both knew the truth. They needed each other on such a deep, spiritual level that they were truly inseparable.

They were walking through a forest in mid fall. The sunlight danced in the autumn colored leaves as it made its slow decent to dusk. The blond man suddenly broke form the red-haired woman's side and parted vines cascading like curtains. She gasped in astonishment at the picnic laid out before them. He wore a huge grin as she waddled up to warmly embrace him.

He returned her affectionate hug and led her to a comfortable spot to sit. She was more than happy to comply and took weight off her tired and aching feet. If there was one thing she wouldn't miss from her pregnancy, it was the extra weight doing all sorts of nasty things to her body. Still, she was ecstatic to be having the child in a couple, short weeks.

Her blond lover was also the pinnacle men should strive for. She was certain little Naruto was his first experience with pregnancy, but he handled it with stride and composure. He wasn't jittery or…as ill composed as frightful old wives' tales had warned. Practical jokes notwithstanding, he calmly took her mood swings and satisfied her every strange craving.

Even she was confused by chocolate covered pickles or peanut butter and pickle ramen. Their child sure was energetic!

Speaking of pickles, the blond handed the red-head a jar of them. She practically squealed as she hugged the jar. She opened it and happily munched on one as he busied himself putting out their dinner set. She watched him adoringly as he set the straightened the edges of the blanket out and placed the basket in the center. As he set out the finest paper plates and plastic cups, she smelled the fancy feast.

Of course, he included their favorite ramen dish. The scent was heavenly to her, but there was more to the picnic dinner than that small morsel. He extracted dish after dish, many her favorites and a few her most common pregnancy cravings. She loved that he thought of everything. He was always prepared, but not crazily so.

"'nato-kun, how long are you going to make me wait? I'm getting hun~gry!" Her lovely voice almost sang as she watched him diligently and carefully prepare their romantic dinner. It was nearing sunset, so she was sure he wanted to watch the painted sky as they enjoyed their meal together.

He seemed to read her mind as he answered. "It'll only be a few more moments, 'shina-chan." He smiled brightly at her. Even married to him, her heart still managed to flutter at the emotion he displayed. "I want our sunset together to be perfect. After all, how many more can we enjoy together once we have our bouncing baby boy?"

She wagged her finger at him. "I know we decided on the name Naruto, but you shouldn't get your hopes up. We might have a beautiful baby girl, still." Though she chided him, there was a playful tone to her voice.

He laughed. "Oh, I won't mind either way!" She really believed him. He was honest and lived life at full throttle. "I'm sure, boy or girl, our child will be a heartbreaker!" She sighed, and he laughed heartily.

A few moments later, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. The blond brought a tray of food to the red-head and gently placed it on her lap and kissed her forehead. She kissed her chin and put the jar of pickles down. He sat next to her on the ground and rested his head against her thigh.

As he bit into a chicken leg, he gently rubbed her swollen belly. "Oh, he's energetic tonight." He smiled when she sighed in exasperation. He was just happy to feel their child kick and squirm. As he took another bite, he felt her tense. "What is it, 'shina-chan?"

He felt her force her chakra down as she growled. "I thought Sarutobi ran him out of the village…" She barely managed to keep her hot temper out of her voice. He looked at her in confusion. He knew her chakra sense was better, but he hadn't felt anything. "It's that _snake_, 'nato-kun."

Orochimaru entered the small clearing with that sick laugh of his. "Oh, I thought I hid myself better, Uzumaki-dono. I must really learn to avoid that…" He licked his lips with his grossly long tongue. "…ability of yours." He stared heatedly at the blond as he stood and placed himself defensively between his wife and the snake.

"Oh, no need to be so cruel, Hokage-sama. I only came to talk." He raised his arms harmlessly to either side and looked around as if indicating the tranquil scene around them. "It's such a lovely evening; isn't it?" His sickly eyes rested on them as his cruel smirk twisted mercilessly. He was overjoyed at their unease.

"Orochimaru, you are under arrest. Surrender peacefully, or I'll be forced to execute you." Though confident in his abilities, the blond was worried about his wife. He wasn't sure he could fight all out with her nearby, and the snake's sickening laughter unnerved even the most seasoned warriors.

"Do try to catch me if you can, Hokage-sama." With a wicked smirk, he turned and ran the other way. The snake was no coward, so it was safest to assume he had some sort of plan. His laughter echoed through the night air and grew distant with every passing moment.

The red-head saw once again why the blond was given the position of Hokage. Constantly prepared, he pulled a familiar, tri-pronged kunai and handed it to her. She took it and held it tight to her chest. He was going to fight perhaps the greatest evil to arise from their village, and there was nothing she could do to help him. Pregnant as she was, her body shut down a majority of her chakra reserves to protect the child.

He leapt into the darkness to follow the snake, and she heaved a breath. She was worried, but the snake's oppressive aura no longer pressed down on her. She spun around, however, when she heard clapping behind her. She looked at the strangely dressed man in confusion.

He wore black robes decorated with red clouds. He wore a black mask with an orange swirl and single hole revealing his eye. She couldn't make out any details in the dark, but he was definitely staring at _her_.

* * *

Thank you for your patience. I hope to repay it in spades. Also, please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and my forum is open.

The last scene is how I decided Kyuubi would reveal the truth of Naruto's heritage.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,132  
Story Page Count: 17

**Terms and Jutsu:**

tane - seed: No, I do _not_ forget details. This is from way back in _Chapter 1: Future March_.


	31. Chapter 28: Living Memory

TimeShifter: Why yes, yes I did promise expedited updates. I promised two, in fact, along with a lot of questions. While I was expecting many of your questions, there are a few I wasn't. _Some_ of both should be answered with this update. I also hope to end this arc with my next chapter. Anyway, to answer some questions that I really need to. Just to clear this up, tane means seed or offspring. I haven't revealed the full implications _yet_, but I plan to next arc. Kyuubi is also not _literally_ familial, and I'll leave that at that. As for killing Kushina and Rin, I present anime logic. It doesn't always make sense, but it makes things epic. As a note, this chapter was planned in advance and was mostly stolen from a possible, completely alternate universe (rather than divergent universe) _Naruto_ fan fiction I may or may not be planning on publishing. As for stating Minato trusted Orochimaru and Madara, I laugh evilly at plot planning. ... What? Hmm, what else to answer? Oh yes, I never did say that Momiji _wasn't_ related to Naruto. I'm glad you entertained other possibilities, however. Mwahahahaha! ... What?

* * *

**Chapter 28:  
Living Memory  
**

The masked man continued clapping, and the red-haired woman grew more and more uncomfortable. He just stared at her creepily and clapped. He tilted his head to one side as if appraising her, and he continued to stare and clap. With a final, loud clap, he stopped. He held his hands together as the sound reverberated throughout the clearing and trees.

She opened her mouth to speak when it looked like he wasn't going to do or say anything, but he interrupted her. "To think, I found a contracted Uzumaki." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Tsk, this just won't do." He took a single, slow step forward; she hastily took a step back.

He took another step; she took another step back. He repeated the process until her back was to a tree. He could see in her eyes that she wasn't afraid. To her, he was more like a creepy stalker than anything else. He chuckled. "You're the Hokage's wife _and _pregnant. It was _very_ difficult to get _this_ close to you, but Minato-kun cooperated _so_ well."

She couldn't see it, but she just _felt_ the smirk under his mask. She also didn't like his tone of voice. "You're an Uchiha." She was confident in her senses, even in her weakened state. Among the proud clan, there were no traitors…not since almost a century ago. "Minato could have scheduled an appointment if you needed to see me _that_ badly."

He laughed. He haughtily laughed as if what she said were full of naïveté. "Oh no my dear, I'm afraid you misunderstand." He paused for a moment before tapping his mask with his index finger. "Oh, how should I put this?" As if struck with inspiration, he snapped his fingers before holding his index finger aloft. "I'm with 'the snake', and I'm here for you, my dear."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't aware of any traitors among the Uchiha. He wore a mask, and his chakra was unfamiliar. She also wasn't in any position to defend herself if he really had teamed up with such a madman as Orochimaru. She held the tri-pronged kunai to her chest and concentrated chakra into it. She looked to the masked Uchiha in surprise when he laughed.

"My dear, I'm afraid Minato-kun is a bit…" He paused as if considering his words. "…preoccupied. He has some things to discus with Orochimaru." He shook his head disappointedly. "You really shouldn't be too surprised. You are _very_ important in returning the Uchiha to their rightful glory." He paused for a moment, and she could _feel_ his gleeful smirk. "No, I suppose you _child_ is an important key."

Anger flashed through her eyes, and she kicked off the ground to try slapping the smug smirk off his hidden face. Her eyes widened when her palm simply passed right through him. Before she could recollect her composure, she grabbed her harshly by the wrist and spun her around uncomfortably in an arm hold. He held her arm just enough to be uncomfortable but not invoke the automatic reaction to bend her spine.

"I won't let you have my child!" She growled. She managed to get enough leverage to slam her free hand into his side. She just hoped the tri-pronged kunai could pierce his flesh. When it met something solid, she sighed in relief. When something warm flowed freely across her hand, she twisted violently and jerked the tri-prong kunai free.

She didn't get the satisfaction of hearing the masked Uchiha yowl in pain, but he released and pushed her away. Freed from the madman's grasp, she slowly turned around to note what damage she caused. He held his side and seethed, but she saw no blood. Out of curiosity, she looked at her hand and the tri-pronged kunai. She blinked in confusion when she saw nothing.

"That was annoying." He stood straight and removed his hand from his side. Where the tri-pronged kunai struck, there was a hole in his robe. Revealed dead center of a red cloud, the skin underneath was horribly scarred and twisted. "To think, something could pierce me while I wasn't whole." He laughed callously. "You'll just have to pay for that, my dear."

She reeled back in shock and confusion as the world around her melted away and became something else entirely. The world was in grayscale and managed to create a sharp contrast on the objects. She was in some kind of building with ornate furniture that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. She knew exactly what she was in. "Genjutsu…"

"Not quite, my dear." The masked Uchiha's voice rang out from all directions as if disembodied. "You see, hardly a second will pass in reality. Unlike a genjutsu, I am in absolute control here. For the next seventy-two hours, I'll burn images into your mind as reality. Now my dear, bear witness to eternity!"

She understood the endless expanse the next instant. She was surrounded by duplicates of herself at exact intervals. She also discovered why the sharply contrasted grayscale looked familiar. She was standing in the center of her living room. Her duplicates also stood in the center of their respective living rooms, and she could at once see from all of their perspectives.

It was…unnerving. The masked Uchiha held so much power, but she at least understood what it was. "_Tsukuyomi_?! You have the Mangekyou Sharingan?!" Instead of an answer, two new figures occupied the usually inviting living room. Also in grayscale, she recognized the man holding a baby immediately. "Minato!"

He didn't respond as he gently bounced the baby who gurgled happily. She recoiled in fear when Orochimaru joined the picture. Her darling turned to the deadly snake, and startled her by handing the baby, _their_ baby she realized, to him. She was even more surprised by his words. "If you hadn't revealed Whirlpool's plot, Konoha would be in great danger. I can't believe we doubted you and chased you out."

She couldn't help it. She knew it was a lie, but tears still stung her eyes. The illusion was _not_ her husband, but it was so unfair to use his image to trick her! Her gaze jerked to the snake as he spoke, and she almost hissed in anger. "Oh, I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding, Hokage-sama." He laughed annoying, sickeningly. "It is such an honor to raise your child to be…" He paused to consider. "…the strongest he can be."

She stared straight up, but the illusion played out above her as well. All around, the scene was like a mirror of her worst nightmare. She finally settled her gaze on the treacherous snake. "You dare show me this mockery! You think this is going to work on me?!" She forced her boiling rage down. She wanted to avoid stressing her child.

The scene morphed and shifted. It was replaced by an open field. The same pattern repeated itself. She stood in the center of one section, and she saw herself repeated at the center of each of the sections as they expanded endlessly. Orochimaru and the masked Uchiha stood with a preteen boy. The snake and masked man were training him. She also realized he was a representation of her child, grown by years.

He had a look in his eyes she did not like. He was cruel. With just a glance, she could see the malice in his soul. Two tufts of hair were held aloft like fox ears by a strong current of chakra. A dead chunin, likely in his mid-teens, lay unmoving at the feet of her poorly raised son. She narrowed her eyes. She could easily believe Orochimaru taught with such violent methods.

The preteen was congratulated on his bloody display. The sharp grayscale only let her see the bloodstains on his face and muddying his hair. Did the masked Uchiha truly expect her to believe that Minato would allow their son to be raised to be little more than a bloodthirsty monster? He wasn't presenting a very believable illusion.

The scene morphed and shifted once more. The boy from before was in his late teens, and he was in immense pain. Her eyes went wide when she saw the stature. Most of its eyes were open. The remaining eye was half-lidded. From the stature, an enormous blue chakra completely coated the teenager and surrounded him in a large sphere.

She looked around the scene. Several men stood on pedestals. They were dressed in robes similar to the masked Uchiha. Among the men, she recognized Minato and Orochimaru. The latter was an easy sell. The former, she knew, would cut his own heart out before subjecting _anybody_ to the kind of pain their son was being shown in.

She narrowed her eyes. Though the scenes brought her to the brink of tears, she still knew she was only being shown illusions. How was the masked Uchiha expecting to break her? She wasn't great with illusions, but she was being shown something even a genin could easily pick apart. She just couldn't escape.

In an instant, the scene reset itself. She was back to the first scene in her living room. Minato was frozen in place as he held a happy baby aloft. The extent of the masked Uchiha's torture would make Ibiki laugh! Then she hears something that should have been impossible. "…seventy-one hours, fifty-nine seconds remaining…"

Realization sunk in. The masked Uchiha was going for quantity over quality. If the torture only ticked away a single second, even the strongest minds would eventually break. She closed her eyes and dug deep into her mind. _"Kyuubi!"_ She had to find her help fast. She had to do whatever it took to protect her child. Her only idea was to resist physical and mental trauma with an extra boost in chakra.

She released a startled gasp as _Tsukuyomi _washed away, and color returned to her vision. She looked around desperately, but she could tell not a second had passed. Her husband was the same distance away, and she sensed the same _Kage Bushin_ from earlier. One was heading towards her, and the other was heading for Konoha.

She shook her head as she tried to separate reality from fiction. She managed to save her mind and body from too much trauma and stress, but it was still difficult to move from an eternal seventy-two hours to real time ticking away. Before she could fully recover however, the masked Uchiha was in her face, and his mask was removed.

She didn't have time to scan his features. His eyes were hypnotic as he stared into her emerald orbs. She felt oddly weak, and her mind wandered aimlessly. She became listless under his gaze and idly wondered why she heard screaming. She noted chakra light up around her body, but her thought processes were already shut down. She couldn't grasp what was going on.

Her breathing slowed, and her eyelids felt heavy. She wanted to sleep, but she couldn't look away from his eyes. She thought she heard something cutting through the air, but she couldn't be sure. Suddenly, he released her and jumped away. She didn't have a chance to fall backwards as she was caught from behind.

"Kakashi, Kushina-sama doesn't look so well!" The gentle female voice was soothing to her as she placed her back against the ground.

"Do what you can for her, Rin." Kakashi disappeared to chase after the masked Uchiha. He didn't know what had happened, but he was going to make sure the attacker didn't get away.

Kushina looked to Rin with a smile. She gently cupped one cheek in her hand, and she responded by leaning into the simple display of affection. They were like a mother and daughter. Kushina's face tightened in pain. "Rin, save my baby…" She smiled at the confusion in the young medic's eyes. "My water just broke… My baby… My baby's in danger. Please Rin, save my baby…"

Rin blinked, startled. "You-You're not due for two weeks!" She desperately searched her supplies for the necessary medical equipment. "Oh…" She moaned. "…what a time for Tsunade-sama to be out of the village!" She quickly cleared off the picnic placemat as Kushina watched her with a smile. It was clean enough; though, she would have preferred a more sterile environment.

She helped the red-head onto the picnic cloth and checked her vitals. She had a slight fever. Scratch that, she was burning up. She was on the verge of panicking when Kushina placed a calming hand on hers. "Rin, just breathe. You'll do fine…" Her face twisted in pain as she trailed off. When the pain passed, she released a tight breath. "She might not be here physically, but she trained you."

Rin felt reassurance from the red-head's gentle smile. With some measure of confidence, she set out her medical supplies. She sorted through them, separating what she needed from what she didn't. She stiffened whenever she heard Kushina go through another contraction, but she focused on the task at hand. Her mentor and his wife were depending on her!

Her body froze and blood ran cold when she heard an ominous growl. It started low, but it grew louder quickly. A bestial voice she'd never heard before bellowed out. "Where are you, murderer! You dare take my kin from me!" Strangely, the words grew slurred towards the end. She got the distinct impression that some level of humanity was slowly being lost…

"I-I'm sorry, Rin." Kushina's breath was ragged as she fought through a contraction to speak. When it passed and the tension relaxed, she fell back and nearly hit her head. "I-I wasn't strong enough… Please Rin, save my baby… Save my baby!" The desperate plea in her voice sounded out of place and worried the young medic.

Explosions rumbled through the forest as Rin set Kushina up for an emergency birthing. She was nervous enough as it was, having never been through the procedure for real. She was trained and drilled by Tsunade, but nothing adequately prepared anybody for battlefield operations. She swallowed hard as she observed Kushina's vitals and labor.

Rin knew something was wrong, but she couldn't quite place it. The vital feedback she was receiving seemed too weak. Kushina's heartbeat was erratic. Her breathing was ragged. Her chakra was at the baseline for survival. Nothing made sense. Rin knew Kushina to be the pinnacle of health. She _never_ got sick, and she usually recovered overnight. Worse, her chakra was always off the charts.

Explosions rocked the forest, and the bestial growling grew closer. Rin could hear the cries of shinobi fighting and dying. She also felt an oppressive chakra. It felt like it was pushing her down with excessive pressure. She felt dizzying rage and hatred. Her breathing grew labored as near-panic set int.

Kushina cupped her face in her hands and drew her close. She kissed the young medic on the forehead and whispered words of encouragement. "You can do this, Rin. Don't forget. You're a strong, beautiful kunoichi." She smiled as amusement took her tone. "You stole Mister Grumpypants's heart, so I know you can do anything." She paused as her tone grew serious again. "Just concentrate on saving my baby, Rin. There's nothing else going on around you."

Rin's heart settled as she remembered who the woman was to her. She was like a mother, and she was a strong role model. She wanted to be just like her. She was a step closer since capturing the heart of the man she loved. Taking a deep, calming breath, she returned confidence with confidence. "All right Kushina-sama, are you ready?"

Though her forehead creased in pain, she nodded. Her emerald green eyes were bright with hope from new life. She was about to bring the next generation into the world. She was about to leave the hope of ancestral generations on the backs of those to come. The heavy burden wasn't one to fear. Her face contorted in pain from another contraction.

It really was too bad she wasn't going to witness the bright future.

With her force of will, she separated the hate filled chakra from the once peaceful, picnic clearing. She wanted Rin to have every advantage possible in the battle to safely deliver new life into the world. The oppressive feeling faded, but the sounds of battle didn't. The cries of agony and smell of blood grew no closer, but it didn't fade into the distance either.

Rin lost track of time. It could have been minutes or hours. The high position of the moon was the only time piece she had to go by, and she couldn't pay it any attention. While in labor, Kushina's condition had steadily destabilized. Her vitals were growing worse, but she wasn't ready to deliver. Worse, her extremities were taking on a sickly, blue hue. Her normally sharp, emerald green eyes were dull and glassy.

Rin swallowed hard in realization. Kushina was dying, and she was giving her last vestiges of strength and chakra to her unborn child. She was desperate to bring the new life into the world, and she was spitting on the consequences. With trembling hand, the young medic reached for the one instrument she really needed. If it came down to it, she had one option left.

A cold hand grabbed her trembling arm. Rin looked over to see Kushina smiling fondly at her. Her smile was weak, causing the medic to break into tears. The red-head looked past the young kunoichi as if she couldn't see her. She felt her life force slipping away, slowly but surely. "Save my baby, Rin." She paused with a sharp breath. "Save…my…baby…"

She slipped with a final breath. She laid motionless, eyes to the starless night. Clouds were rolling in, and the moon would soon be obscured by the thick thunderheads. For an instant, the raging battle that seemed so far away went completely silent. For an instant, Rin felt her world shatter. Her roll model, a motherly figure, was dead from a pregnancy that should have had no complications. The strongest woman she had ever known was growing cold. Her last energy was spent giving her child the best chance he could have.

The moment passed quickly, and Rin moved quickly to extract the child before he suffocated to death. Without life-sustaining functions from the mother, there was no way to survive. Explosions erupted again, and she made her first incision. It was a carefully planned incision placing her close to the womb. She had carefully probed and aided the incision with chakra.

Even through her sadness of loss, she felt some joy of hope. For the second time, her world shattered around her. She lurched forward as pain erupted from her chest. As blood dribbled down her chin, she looked down to see a massive claw surrounded by powerful, hot red chakra protruding. The damage was irreversible. She was missing a lung, and her heart was badly torn.

Though her body wanted to give into the cold, dead grasp of the shinigami, she fought. She pushed off from the claws to either side and stumbled forward. The ignored the powerful breath of the mighty creature behind her. She didn't need to look to know the creature, rage incarnate, was the bijuu known as Kyuubi no Kitsune.

She dove for Kushina's unmoving, dead body. She managed to concentrate her chakra to make the final incision and extract the baby. She carried him and took off at full speed. She had to find Minato. Before her life left her, she had to find her mentor. She heard Kyuubi no Kitsune growl, but he decided to ignore her last moments of life. As she ran towards Minato's powerful chakra, Kyuubi no Kitsune jumped the opposite direction to seek further destruction and revenge.

Rin fought growing weakness and focused on finding her mentor. Her vision became tunneled as she ran desperately along tree branches. She didn't even notice the ANBU forces converging around her. She smiled when she saw the blond Hokage. She didn't see her lover or the toad sannin flanking him. She didn't see their worried looks at her dire condition or miserable smile.

Minato waved his hand to call off the ANBU, but Rin mistook it as a greeting. She made a misstep and stumbled out of the tree she meant to land and stop on. She didn't even see her lover catch her. She managed to straighten up and walk despite his protests and hold the baby out as she forced her feet forward. Minato gently grabbed the baby before she feel face forward.

Her lover caught her before her face planted in the muddy ground. He rolled her over, tears in his visible eye. He lost Obito; he wasn't sure he could handle losing her too. The toad sannin placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He lowered his head and kissed her cheek.

"Mi-Minato-sensei…" She coughed violently, blood spraying her face and Kakashi's mask. "I-I sa-saved hi-hi-him." She tried to force a breath in, dark bags forming under her eyes. "Did I..." She wheezed. "…do good?" Poor grammar from Rin? Fresh tears streamed from Kakashi's revealed eye and soaked the cloth of his hitai-ate.

Minato hardened his gaze. "Yeah, you did, Rin." He cleaned his strangely calm child a bit. He was shivering, but, otherwise, he was perfectly fine. He was breathing normally, and his eyes were mostly closed. "You did great." He managed to keep his emotions out of his voice.

Rin smiled weakly as she looked in his general direction. "Tell Ka-Kashashi… Tell him…I..." Her breathing grew weaker as her eyes closed. "…love…" Her voice was nearly a whisper. "…him..." She trailed off as her final word became her final breath. Her blood flowed freely when her chakra received no further direction. Her fatal wound finally caught up with her.

Kakashi trembled over her body. He still held her cold hand. "I love you, Rin…" He stood stiffly. His chakra radiated off his body, and the rage and killing intent he gave off seemed to thicken the air. "I love you, Rin." The finality of his statement startled his mentor and mentor's mentor. He gripped his hitai-ate, and his vision blackened. He slumped into the toad sannin's waiting arms.

"Jiraiya-sensei, take that foolish young man back to the village and take charge of the last line of defense." He held up his hand before he could protest. "Please, we don't have much time. I have to figure out how to calm down Kyuubi before he does too much more damage." He looked over his shoulder. "I have a special task for you, Sarutobi-sensei."

Jiraiya nodded to his mentor before he took off to fulfill their current leader's orders. He narrowed his eyes as he hoped the young, blond Hokage wouldn't do anything foolish. He was out of audible range before the Third spoke up. "What do you need me to do, Hokage-sama?" He respectfully answered the village's protector.

Minato tossed Sarutobi a scroll. The old man was about to open it when the blond spoke up. "Take the ANBU back to the village and prepare that _specific_ array. I'll take Dog with me. He'll deliver…the final component." He finished carefully, like he was covering something up.

Dog nodded, but Sarutobi interrupted. "If it's really that important, _I'll_ go with you. Dog is competent enough to handle whatever Fuuin you're planning on setting up." He knew the Fourth wasn't going to put up an argument, so they nodded in silent agreement. The scroll was tossed to Dog, and they separated from the ANBU.

Soon, Minato and Sarutobi stood before the great bijuu. The blond man was still holding the baby, greatly confusing the old man. "Kyuubi, listen to me!" The bijuu stopped his paw in midair. A fortunate shinobi was saved from being raked, and he was promptly dragged way by nearby comrades. "Please, why are you doing this?!"

Kyuubi barked at him, most of his human intelligence drained by blind rage. He was little more than a raging beast. As a chakra entity, he was simply acting on what he felt. His chakra was fiery and oppressive. If the flora and fauna around him were any indication, his chakra was also deadly poisonous. Whatever the bijuu felt, all his killer intent was focused on _Minato_ now.

Minato held his child. He forced the Kyuubi to face the newborn male. For the first time, the infant bawled. He didn't like how he was being held, and the oppressive chakra was uncomfortable and unnatural. "His name is Naruto! You remember that much; don't you?"

Kyuubi growled and barked angrily. He leapt at them with every intention of rending them to unidentifiable pieces. They easily dodged the blind charge. When they landed, several _Kage Bushin_ popped into existence to distract the enraged beast. Minato looked down sadly as he set his son down and set about the final task he had in mind.

Sarutobi approached him. He was surprised to see his successor drawing an intricate seal on his own son's belly. He tried to take in the details, but it was simply nothing he was prepared to understand. There were unfamiliar seals, and he recognized some designs as ancient glyphs. As the last _Kage Bushin_ popped out of existence, the Fourth finally stood and faced the Third.

Minato held his son out for Sarutobi to take. The elder took the infant with a puzzled expression. "Promise me Sarutobi-sense, Naruto will be a hero. He _alone_ saved Konoha from destruction. Whatever happens, protect my son." Before his predecessor could answer, he leapt into the trees. He was already furiously moving his hands through necessary seals for a big technique.

Sarutobi left, dazed. He didn't know what Minato was up to, but there were complicated seals on his son's belly. He also assigned Dog, him initially, to set up an array in the village. He knew where without having to ask. Dog undoubtedly set the array up in the Hokage's office. He moved at his top speed. He had to hurry to ensure the success of whatever the Fourth was planning.

Meanwhile, Minato stared down Kyuubi no Kitsune once again. Fugaku landed next to him. "Hokage-sama, the Uchiha are prepared to move out on your orders. Just give the word, and we'll do whatever we can to tame this beast." He stared hard into his superior's eyes. "Then you can deliver the fell blow."

Minato shook his head as the raging bijuu cried out in rage. He directed a hateful glare towards Fugaku. The scent of the Uchiha was everywhere! First, he chased the masked man who extracted him, and the masked Uchiha's was a scent he would not soon forget. Then, he killed the woman who menacingly stood over his dead family; though, she only smelled weakly of Uchiha. Now, a powerful Uchiha stood next to her family's _treacherous_ mate, and he had the look of a leader.

"Fall back with the Hyuuga." His commanding presence stopped the Uchiha head from protesting. "The line needs to be held, and I can't afford to get anybody caught up in this. Whatever you do, do _not_ let Kyuubi leave the glowing area." He paused to take a deep breath. "I'm sure only Uchiha and Hyuuga will see it, but you have to make sure everybody understands and maintains that boundary."

Fugaku nodded in understanding and left to deliver the Fourth's orders. Kyuubi no Kitsune was about to give chase. Killing Uchiha took priority over killing Minato. He also realized it was easier to kill the strongest Uchiha than the current Hokage. He didn't get very far as tri-pronged kunai rained down on his position. He spent precious seconds defending himself, and his prey was able to get away.

"I was hoping you'd sense Kushina in him, but I suppose you're too lost to your rage and hatred." He released a heavy breath as he called _Kage Bushin_ into existence. They used the tri-pronged kunai strewn across the battlefield to utilize _Hiraishin no Jutsu_. "It's too bad I didn't get to perfect this jutsu, but I had a good run at it." He closed his eyes as he concentrated on a completely separate technique.

His _Kage Bushin_ used the incomplete _Rasengan_ as they appeared and disappeared on the battlefield. They couldn't maintain the _Rasengan_ while using the time/space effects of the _Hiraishin no Jutsu_, so there was a slight pause upon reappearing while they formed it to slam the powerful technique into Kyuubi no Kitsune's side. The great bijuu yowled in pain, but no obvious damage was accumulating.

Kyuubi no Kitsune froze in apparent fear when the real Minato finished his technique. "Oh, you know this one? I didn't know if you'd ever seen it, but I suppose Kanae-chan didn't feel any need to tell me anything. Please forgive me, Uzumaki. _Shiki Fuujin_!" An astral appendage stretched out from his abdomen. The memory faded.

* * *

Naruto stood stock still, panting. The memory was intense, but it didn't take nearly as much time as he thought to reveal it. From what he could tell, only a few seconds had actually passed. He closed his eyes tightly as he fought back tears. He remembered the Fourth's words in his mind over a month prior. He looked solemnly to a passing cloud. He had names and faces for his parents.

_"My blind rage ended your parents' lives, and, for that, I apologize."_ Her words were sincere, and no hint of malice laced them. She seemed completely different from the male red-head he had previously known. She also looked _exactly_ like his mother. The only real differences were real fox ears and nine tails swishing behind her.

He was silent for several long moments. "He didn't really betray her, right? He tried to save you, and he desperately tried to unite us. Even until his dying breath, he made sure we were together. That's got to count for something, right?" He didn't want to think his father betrayed his mother. Even more, he didn't want to think his father sealed Kyuubi no Kitsune in him for malicious reasons.

She didn't answer for a moment. She was contemplating how to answer, so he respected her desire to think out her answer with patience. When she finally answered, his vision started to blur with another revealed memory. "I didn't see it directly, but I know what happened."

* * *

Orochimaru came to a stop abruptly and turned to face his pursuer. The blond man was met by the snake sannin's sickening grin. "Ah Minato-kun, it's been too long." His body melted into mud as a brace of shuriken tore into his flesh. His sickening laugher echoed through the trees as he remained hidden. "Now, is that any way to greet a friend you haven't seen in _so_ very long, Minato-kun?"

The snake sweated nervously as Minato produced several tri-pronged kunai and looked directly at him as he emerged from the trunk of a tree. "Why appear before my wife and me? You know you're not welcome here." Orochimaru circled one way; Minato circled the other. They were sizing each other up before the battle began. "You can't beat me, so why bother?" He really was curious.

Orochimaru grinned madly. "Quite boastful, aren't you Minato-kun? Just because _you_ became Hokage doesn't mean I stopped studying and growing stronger. You'd be surprised at what you learn under the tutelage of a _real_ ninja." He laughed haughtily. Outwardly, he showed confidence. Inwardly, he was trembling at the thought of facing the only shinobi to ever earn a 'run on sight' order.

Minato threw a tri-pronged kunai. Knowing the technique, Orochimaru jumped back rather than simply dodge or parry. He had to get away as fast as possible. One _Hiraishin no Jutsu_ later, and the snake was forced to duck under a well aimed _Rasengan_. His plight wasn't over as he barely avoided being skewered by several tendrils of blade-like winds. An open-palm uppercut to his jaw sent him flying into a branch high above them.

Even before his body melted into blood, Minato whipped around to send a bone-jarring kick to his sternum. As Orochimaru lay sprawled on a distant branch, Minato shook his head and chided him. "You honestly think those tricks'll work on me? I'm praised for my mastery of time/space jutsu, and you just use a _Kawarimi_ to swap yourself with mud?"

He froze as he felt it. Kushina was calling him. He quickly formed the necessary seals, and _Kage Bushin_ flanked him. With silent orders, one turned to run to Konoha. The other focused using _Hiraishin no Jutsu_ to get to the clearing Kushina was in. When it didn't disappear in a flash of yellow, Minato narrowed his eyes at the snake. Whoever his partner was, he was powerful in time/space techniques. The _Kage Bushin_ was forced to move out the hard way.

Minato disappeared in a yellow flash, and Orochimaru barely dodged a quickly formed _Rasengan_ from tearing a hole through his chest. He rolled forward and quickly turned to launch snakes from his arms. The poisonous creatures bit into the Fourth's neck, and he flinched in pain. The snake sannin wasn't fooled for a second.

He pushed chakra to his feet and launched high into the air. He grabbed the nearest branch and spun around to use it as cover just as the _Kazekage Bushin_ exploded. The blades of air spun and cut into everything in a tight radius. The snakes and tree were utterly destroyed.

Orochimaru wasn't so lucky avoiding Minato's next strike. He felt a kunai bite into his shoulder. As he groaned in pain, he felt it twist and attempt to split bone and sinew. Eyes wide in true fear, he jumped away. He reached over his shoulder to pry the annoyance from his shoulder, but he heard air rapidly displace and heard something like thunder.

Eyes wide, Orochimaru received an injury that might be fatal to anybody else. A _Rasengan_ tore into his spine and started to dig into his organs. He needed to escape, and he needed to do it quickly. He split his body in half. His torso went one way, and his legs fell to the ground. His spun his torso around and opened his mouth. A huge snake erupted from his tongue and tied Minato up.

He was not surprised when the snake was cut to shreds by what appeared to be an armor of wind. Not taking any chances, Minato threw a tri-pronged kunai towards the legs. Orochimaru's eyes went wide, and he desperately summoned more snakes to at least delay the Fourth. As soon as the kunai struck his lower appendages, he could only watch as Minato disappeared in a yellow flash.

As he figured, the snake hid his real body in his lower half. The upper half attacked as distraction. As soon as he reached the legs, he cut them in half and proceeded to call Fuuton to dissect it as much as possible. Before he could however, Orochimaru emerged and split from his discarded limbs. The upper and lower halves disintegrated into mud. Real fear contorted the snake sannin's face as he looked into the blond man's confident eyes.

To further prove his lack of composure, he nearly spun around when he heard voices coming from the direction of Konoha. The fatal error might have cost him his life if he were anybody else. He was still called a sannin for a reason. He melted into the ground and slithered away. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to lick his wounds and find a new body or a great medic. Either way, he was in a _lot_ of pain.

Minato turned to greet his backup. Jiraiya and Sarutobi led the charge. Directly behind them, ANBU bowed to their commander. Beside one in a dog mask, he recognized his protégé, Kakashi. He was wearing his newly earned ANBU mask. Not far behind, he could see the strongest shinobi quickly catching up. He needed to disseminate information and orders quickly.

"Kakashi, you aren't acting as ANBU for this mission. Take Rin and go to Kushina." Kakashi nodded and removed his ANBU mask. He handed his mask to his commander, Dog, and made a beeline for where Rin likely was. He pointed to ANBU in a cat and an elephant mask. "I need you two to try tracking Orochimaru down. He can't have gotten too far with his injuries." Cat and Elephant disappeared along with their squads.

He pointed to ANBU in a dog and a frog mask. "You two are with me. Kushina's in trouble. Kakashi and Rin can handle themselves until we get there, but I'm sure they're not enough for whoever is there." He pointed to ANBU in a hawk and a bull mask. "You two relay orders to squads as they arrive. Spread out and…" He was about to continue, but a massive killer intent settled in the area.

He turned, fearing the worst. He saw something he feared more than anything. A massive creature made of pure chakra bellowed in rage. He was right; the enemy was too much for Kakashi and Rin. His knees nearly gave out, but he forced his fears down with the lump in his throat. The enemy just made him or herself a personal target of the Fourth.

"All squads are to spread out and contain the Kyuubi no Kitsune." He could already sense fear settling in among his ANBU. He knew he had to look strong for them. If they gained confidence from him, the other shinobi would gain confidence from them in turn. "I'll work with Jiraiya to come up with some plan. Sarutobi, I need information. I'll leave that important task to you."

He took a steadying breath as he prepared himself. If Kyuubi no Kitsune was free, his wife's face was sealed. Besides Jiraiya and Sarutobi, he doubted anybody else knew. The Uzumaki did, but they didn't count because none of them were in the village. He also knew whoever freed Kyuubi no Kitsune had just declared outright war on Whirlpool. Whatever happened, the night would not end well.

Orders received, they split into their assigned groups. They had their own tasks to accomplish, and failing any one of those tasks could ensure the destruction of Konoha. They knew it was vital to keep a cool head, and they would, to the best of their abilities, follow their leader's fearless example. Only Jiraiya and Sarutobi knew how much courage his words and actions had taken. His soulmate was very likely dead.

* * *

Naruto clenched his fist in anger. "That Orochimaru! He's absolutely unforgivable! He's ruined so many lives, and he doesn't even stop to consider what he's done!" He felt his rage boil over, but he was surprised to feel Kyuubi stop the poisonous red chakra from spilling out. After a moment, he calmed enough to consider the memories. "So he didn't betray her; did he?"

He sort of got the impression Kyuubi shook her head. _"No, Minato didn't betray Kushina. I thought he did, and I desperately wanted somebody to blame."_ She heaved a heavy breath. _"The real culprit is that masked Uchiha. I wasn't aware enough to think about it at the time, but he called himself Madara. He was in charge of Akatsuki before Konoha even knew it existed."_

Naruto nodded. The story made a little bit of sense. He was mainly glad his father didn't betray his mother. He was glad to have faces and names to his parents. More than anything, he was glad to know they had loved him before his death. He blinked as something sunk in. "Hey, was kaa-san your jinchuuriki before me?"

There was a long pause before Kyuubi answered. _"It's a long story. I'll explain it later. For now, you need to find Nagato. I want to know if he's really the leader of Akatsuki or just some puppet."_ She paused as another thought surfaced. _"I need to see for myself if Madara is still around or not."_

Naruto nodded. At least there was something they could agree on. Then again, the new Kyuubi seemed much more agreeable. There was something very different about her. She was easily discernable from the male he had seen and talked to before. He didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Without further discussion, he leapt into the trees and made a beeline for Nagato. He could sense other shinobi along his path, but he wasn't sure if he was going to stop for them or not. As he traveled, he didn't say anything to Kyuubi, and she didn't say anything in turn. They traveled in silence, contemplating their own thoughts. Naruto felt powerful emotions from the memories he was shown, and he was sure she wanted time to herself to remorse…if she truly had changed.

When his fellow shinobi finally came into view, he made the decision to stop. He stopped just past them and continued to stare in the direction he knew Nagato was in. He didn't even turn to look over his shoulder. "You guys head back. I'll finish this alone." He felt Neji's heated gaze on his shoulder. For whatever reason, news of Hinata's survival hadn't reached them yet.

"I'm getting revenge for Hinata-sama!" He tried to jump forward, but Shikaku stopped him. The man shook his head sadly, and he understood his meaning. They'd only get in Naruto's way. "I don't care! He killed her, and he…"

"He deserves to die for _everything_ he did to the village, but seeking revenge is just the path of destruction." The Hyuuga prodigy was stunned silent as Naruto chided him. The blond genin took a deep breath. "Go see Hinata-chan. She's waiting for you." He pumped chakra into his feet and prepared to take off.

"Hey, you've got a plan." Shikaku smirked when the blond jerked slightly as he stopped his momentum from continuing forward. Though it sounded almost like a question, it was definitely a statement. When Naruto looked over his shoulder and nodded, the Nara elder scratched the back of his head. "Well, let's leave this in his hands. We'll hear _all_ about it later." His tone promise retribution if his words proved false.

* * *

Nagato held his arm out to stop Konan as Naruto pushed paper to either side as if parting a curtain door. She worriedly looked to him. He was in no condition to continue fighting. He expended a lot of chakra to maintain the Pein Rikudou for as long as he had. He had used his most powerful technique _twice_, and he had created a moon. Though it was miniscule compared to what he could do, it was still a moon and a large expenditure of chakra.

Nonetheless, he calmly hung from the contraption he'd summoned so long ago and stared down probably his most worthy adversary. For his part, the blond genin didn't flinch. He stood at the entrance, permanently parted to let light in. As much as she hated to admit it, he looked angelic, even as he pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You're the one behind Pein; aren't you?" He stood resolute. He really didn't need an answer, but he still waited for one.

"I am. You know this already, but my name's Nagato." He indicated the woman beside him. "Her name is Konan; though, I'm sure you knew that already as well." He paused as he evaluated the boy. It was different seeing him with his own eyes rather than through his Rinnegan link with the Pein Rikudou. "You seem to have come to a deeper understanding of Pein. Tell me, is that why you think you can 'achieve the unachievable'?"

Naruto drew in a sharp breath and closed his eyes. "Who do you think I am?!" The answer surprised Nagato and Konan. They may have been taken aback, but the blond continued unabashed. "I am Uzumaki Naruto, son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina! I'm the future Hokage, and don't _you_ forget it!" He stood confidently, eyes closed and arms crossed.

Oddly, neither Nagato nor Konan could find cause to doubt him. He was as confident as he was powerful. He also didn't have the ego they expected him to have. Both found it oddly refreshing. Nevertheless, he was a necessary sacrifice to bring world peace. Still, he _had_ caught Nagato's attention. "Tell me, how did you arrive at your decision? How do you plan to bring about peace?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You know what? I don't wanna tell you!" Their heads jerked back in surprise. "First of all, I don't know anything about you! You came in and attack Konoha, but I don't know why. What? You didn't think you could _talk_ with us? We have only attacked Akastuki in defense _or_ to take back what was stolen. Why is Akatsuki so fixated on attacking?"

It was Nagato and Konan's turn to narrow their eyes. Konan spoke first. "What gives _you_ the right to question _us_? What do you know of war, brat? What do you really know of pain so deep it tears your heart asunder?" She opened her mouth to continue, but the one she loved stopped her.

"I'll entertain your question. It all started in war and supposed peace. I will end it in true peace, but you want to know the origins of my hatred." He paused and took a deep breath. "Your generation knows nothing of war. Though the peace is fragile, the villages avoid open conflict. Even when Suna invaded Konoha, no true retribution was sought. One man perpetrated the whole conflict in hopes of escalating it to war, but, in the end, neither side rose to his bait."

Naruto was reminded once more of Orochimaru's evil. His campaign against Konoha left many dead, and it nearly left and irreparable rift between Konoha and Suna. If certain factions within Konoha had their way, Suna would not have been allowed to recover economically or as a ninja village. It was true the conflict only lasted one day, but, in his mind, it seemed like war. Was that not enough to qualify?

"I see you're confused." Nagato chided superiorly. "That is the reason I said you don't understand war. You know conflict. You even know battle. However, you _don't_ know war. What you saw that day ended when Orochimaru ran and Suna realized it was misled and betrayed. Instead of seeking retribution and stomping out the threat, Konoha sought to end things quickly and peacefully."

Nagato's gaze hardened. "Konoha isn't always so generous. They realized that a prolonged conflict would leave them weak to the other powers. When they are in a position to lord their power, they do so willingly. I've seen it before. Your precious Hokage throws out his so-called desires for peace. He, instead, stomps down on any factions seeking to unify and advance peace."

"I know Sarutobi-jiji!" Naruto protested. "He wanted peace more than anything! He taught me the will of fire! He taught _everybody_ the will of fire! He was saddened whenever conflict took lives, and he did everything he could to prepare us to defend ourselves." Tears stung his eyes. "Sarutobi-jiji was the first precious person I lost!"

Nagato tilted his head to one side. "I suppose, then, you want revenge on me for taking Jiraiya-sensei from you?" The fire in the young man's eyes answered his question for him. "Revenge is an ugly thing, and I've never sought it. I aimed to destroy Konoha not out of revenge but seeking peace. You can't understand it until you experience Pein, and even then it is difficult to grasp."

He shook his head and continued. "No, you need to stomp out your desire for revenge and rise to the level of a deity. You want to know why I attacked Konoha and seek the jinchuuriki? Listen to my tale, Uzumaki Naruto, and decide for yourself on whose side justice rests!"

* * *

Please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and my forum is open. I won't be mad whatever the poll results. I'm more upset that I don't have more results. As I said, the poll will be up until either the end of the year _or_ it shows overwhelming results one way or the other.

The _original_ scene I ripped this from (my own, mind you) is much darker and bloodier. Please, please, _please_ tell me if it's still a bit much. I know I almost cried broke down during parts of it, so I may have missed keeping some parts PG-13. Oh, yes I most certainly had all of these details in mind from _Chapter 1: Future March_. I wasn't sure when I wanted to reveal it exactly, but the Pien Rikudou attack was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Beg and plead all you want, I am _not_ posting Nagato's back story. It's exactly the same as the manga, so my next chapter's opening should be a fair bit predictable. Not a great cliffhanger by any stretch of the imagination, but it gets my point across. Do enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,056  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Hiraishin no Jutsu_ - _Flying Thunder God Technique_: The technique that made Namikaze Minato famous. He used it to wipe out entire battalions on the battlefield, and many consider him among the strongest shinobi of all time for inventing it.

_Shiki Fuujin_ - _Corpse Spirit Sealing Method_: The technique used to seal Kyuubi no Kitsune within Naruto and seal Orochimaru's techniques. The latter ended up failing, however. The former seems to be broken for whatever reason.


	32. Chapter 29: Pein Rikudou

TimeShifter: Sorry, second special update never came. I have my reasons (family's trumps writing story, sorry). I couldn't think of a good way to write it, but Madara extracted Kyuubi at the very end. In fact, he didn't do anything to extract Kyuubi until after the genjutsu ended. I'll leave the blind rage thing up in the air for the moment. As for Fugaku, I think he may, tragically, be among the most misunderstood characters in _Naruto_. As a note, Itachi didn't kill either his mother or father; Madara did. Canonically, I don't think the author has stated why. My theory is that, possibly, he was working to keep peace between Konoha and the Uchiha. I have no evidence, but I don't believe he hated the Fourth or Third. Oh, I am going to _enjoy_ my next arc. A note for Nagato and Konan, combined they have the chakra of a genin right about now. I also don't have much inspiration for fight scenes right now. Weak chapter ahead!

* * *

**Chapter 29:  
Pein Rikudou  
**

Madara tightened and loosened his fists. _"Nagato can be a thorn in my side when he wants to be. How…? **How** could he fail to capture Kyuubi no Kitsune when I practically hand it to him on a silver platter?"_ Team Hawk could easily tell he was incensed. He seethed as he stared into the distance. Though none of them could see it, the two Uchiha and Karin could sense it.

Naruto was standing in the same general vicinity as Nagato and Konan. The jinchuuriki also felt fresh compared to Akatsuki's puppet leader and partner. They had never failed him before, and he _still_ didn't have any real information on the Hachibi no Ushi. _"Was it too early to act? I've already lost too many pawns and made Akatsuki known to the world. It's also too late to turn back now."_

Sasuke looked on thoughtfully. His elder's irritation didn't concern him nearly as much as his primary goals. Nagato did a splendid job razing Konoha, but he seriously doubted the elders he wanted vengeance on were dead. In all likelihood, they were in shelters or, worst case scenario, out of the village all together. He needed information on those not directly associated with the Hokage.

No, Danzou and the advisers were relatively easy to find. Though he had never seen them with his own eyes, he had Suigetsu and Karin to rely on. With Suigetsu out on a separate mission, he'd have to wait on at least part of his plan for revenge. Instead, he would have to concentrate on the council. He knew most of them, and he was confident he could locate and execute them.

His gaze returned to his elder when the masked Uchiha turned to face Team Hawk. His demeanor was different, calmer. Obviously, the impossibly old clan ancestor had come to terms with something. Instead of seething, he seemed patient. It almost seemed too drastic a shift in mood. When he spoke, his tone was surprisingly light. "Sasuke-kun, I want you and your team to continue looking for information on the Hachibi no Ushi."

He held up his hand and wagged a finger when it seemed his descendent was about to protest. "Tsk, tsk Sasuke-kun, you didn't let me finish." He paused to evaluate the three remaining members of Team Hawk. When he figured they were calm enough, he continued. "You can continue to carry out whatever your other agendas are as long as you continue to report what you know to me."

Sasuke nodded his head in acquiescence. It wasn't exactly what he wanted, but it seemed his elder wasn't going to go back on his word. He still realized that, if in the off chance Naruto failed to defeat Nagato and Konan, reviving his clan was going to take much longer than he hoped it would. Whatever the case, he was freed from interference from Madara and, therefore, Akatsuki. He could burn Konoha's elders for their transgressions and use his former best friend to revive a new Uchiha before he was sacrificed.

Madara, on the other hand, was pleased. He had Team Hawk's full cooperation. With them in the field, he could concentrate Akatsuki on gathering a greater power base. He still had plans for the remaining bijuu, but slowing that project didn't delay his plans _too_ much. He was immortal and had a great deal of patience. It was only slightly disappointing that he couldn't send Team Hawk to assassinate the five Kage at the Gathering of Shadows.

Under his mask, he smirked. _"Oh well, plans change. Even I cannot foresee everything with my Hateshiganai Mangekyou Sharingan. I still have my war hawks, and just knowing about Akatsuki doesn't do those foolish Kage any good. Most of the elite groups have been removed, so I just need to concentrate on growing Akatsuki."_ He chuckled internally. Perhaps his plans were actually ahead of schedule.

* * *

Hinata moaned and cracked one eye open. Her body was sore _all over_, but her aches and pains didn't stop Ino from latching on in a tight embrace as soon as she regained consciousness. She grunted in pain, and the blond medic immediately backed away mumbling apologies. She waved her friend's words off as unnecessary and tried to look around.

"Naruto's not here, but he's definitely alive." Sakura's words reassured her. Then, she sighed and stood. As she patted the dirt from her pants and knees, she looked around. Shion was talking with Kanaeru, but she couldn't tell exactly what they were discussing. The Demons' daimyo priestess held Momiji protectively. The confused girl clung to her caretaker.

The entire situation was confusing. There were countless dead after Pein Rikudou rampaged through the village. Even Tsunade was a step away from the shinigami. Katsuyu and Rikka helped disseminate information, and most seemed to be relying on Shikamaru's strategic thinking. Worse, reports were coming in about a possible traitor because new casualties were being reported.

With both Tsunade and Shizune unconscious, medical planning and deployment had fallen on Sakura's shoulders. She wasn't sure she couldn't handle the chaos nearly as well as Shikamaru, but she used Katsuyu and Rikka to make sure everything was taken care of. The strange casualties became a shared responsibility, and ANBU was more than willing to coordinate research and deployment efforts.

Meanwhile, Katsuyu relayed Nagato's tale to the remaining shinobi. Some were surprised that Naruto not once interrupted, but his friends understood why. Both Nagato and Naruto studied under Jiraiya. The last apprentice of the great toad sannin wanted closure, so he listened intently and took in every word his senior, in a sense, had to say. It was not a happy tale by any stretch of the imagination, but it left more questions than it answered.

* * *

Naruto's face was downcast. His bangs overshadowed his expression, making it impossible to read. As the supposed leader of Akatsuki concluded his tale, his mouth twitched just a little before he spoke. "Idiot…" Just as Nagato and Konan were about to respond enraged, the blond genin reared back and yelled. "**Idiot**!"

They paused, taken aback. Naruto stared the inspiration for his teacher's first book dead in the eyes. His chakra started to light the room brighter than the illumination coming from outside. It was a chaotic mix of red and silver. "You gave up the _faith_ Jiraiya loved you for! After Minato himself, you were like a son to Ero-sennin!" He shook his head. "You gave up your dream of peace just because you were convinced it was impossible."

Konan pushed past Nagato's staying hand and yelled at the _child_ who insulted the man she loved. "What do you know?! Everything, _everything_, we ever had was stolen from us! Our parents! Our land! Our comrades! Yahiko! You have no _idea_ what we're trying to do!" She blinked and looked to Nagato as he finally pulled her back.

"I see you still do not understand, Uzumaki Naruto." He was concerned about the red chakra, but the strange silver color intrigued him. At the same time, he realized they were in no condition to fight the jinchuuriki. At best, he could talk his way out of the situation and disarm the boy enough to capture him. At worst, the fact that their combined chakra was less than a genin's would mean their untimely death.

"We were betrayed time and again, and each betrayal took away something precious, something irreplaceable." He paused to see if his junior had a response. He didn't, so the self proclaimed deity continued. "We were betrayed by our army, and we lost our parents. We were betrayed by Jiraiya, and we lost our innocence. We were betrayed by Hanzou, and we lost Yahiko. We were betrayed by Konoha, and we lost many comrades who strove for peace."

"You betrayed Ero-sennin's memory!" Naruto yelled and returned an equally hard gaze to his senior. His chakras were slowly combining, but red and silver still apparently fought for dominance. "He thought he could rely on _you_ to bring peace, and you just stopped believing! You were too weak-willed to achieve the unachievable!" He clenched his eyes, jaw, and fists to force himself to calm.

"You're so selfish." The blond genin shook his head. "You selfishly cling to the belief that the world hurt only _you_. You don't think about what else something can mean." He sighed. "For example, your parents _attacked_ people they _knew_ were ninja just to make sure you _lived_. The ninja didn't know who was attacking them, and they reacted automatically to a surprise attack. They even apologized and tried to escort you to safety!"

Nagato practically snarled. "How could they mistake _civilians_ for ninja?!" He forced a breath out and calmed. "Whatever the case, they were raiding a populated village for supplies. They knew people were around and would defend their homes. It only proves that Konoha doesn't seek peace, and the Hokage of the time was nothing but a hypocrite." He was confident the young man before him couldn't counter the hard logic of his argument.

Naruto shook his head with a heavy breath. "Is that it?" He wasn't surprised by their confused expressions. "Is that the only reason?" He swept his arm to one side, and odd golden glow temporarily lighting his hand. "Konoha had no reason to believe the village wasn't _already_ evacuated. I mean; who leaves civilians to rot in the middle of a war zone?!"

Nagato narrowed his eyes. He couldn't refute the statement without knowing exactly what intelligence Konoha had at the time. Naruto continued unabashed. "You said Konoha betrayed you, but your only proof is that Danzou joined Hanzou in attacking you? He had an army of masked ninja, but can you prove they were ANBU? We all know ANBU, after all, only follow the _direct_ orders of the Hokage." He paused. "Do you know whose command they were under?"

Again, Nagato was surprised to find he had no answer. ANBU were, indeed, the personal army of whoever the current Hokage was. The same could be said of the ANBU for any other village. He knew nothing of Danzou or the other ninja who joined Hanzou that fateful day. He had simply assumed they were under the Hokage of the time's direct orders.

His eyes widened when he realized Naruto skipped over a subject, but the blond genin continued once he was certain his point was across. "You got Jiraiya wrong, all wrong." His expression was hidden by his bangs as he forced tears back. "Ero-sennin… Jiraiya was always thinking about you. He reminded me every day that he had pupils who barely survived the carnage of war. He didn't know your fate, but he worried you were dead."

He reached into his equipment pouch, and Nagato and Konan tensed. When he pulled out a book, they looked at each other in confusion. He held it up, so they could see the title, _The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja_. "'But someday, I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I'll find it. Faith…is better than any plan!' Do you remember those words? They were burned into my mind the first time I read them."

"It's just coincidence." Nagato managed to sound resolute.

"That's a lie and you know it!" Naruto yelled, and, for an instant, the red and silver chakras seemed to merge into a dull gold before returning to the chaotic struggle. "He believed in you, so he used your words to inspire _everybody_ whose lives he could touch with his book. He even dedicated his book to you." He closed his eyes and pushed his chakra down. "Then a baby was born and named after the main character, a memento of the book."

He stared, proud and resolute, into the eyes of a man who thought himself a deity. "His name was Naruto, and I'm Jiraiya's memento!" As his words echoed through the faux tree, the atmosphere seemed to calm. As if his very words had the power to alter the world, light and sound seemed to disappear. A golden glow outlined his body, and he seemed to go through a physical change.

Though they were both surprised, it was Nagato who spoke their mind. "I-Impossible!" They could only stare in mild awe as the jinchuuriki of Kyuubi no Kitsune simple stood and glared at them. His very presence weighed on him as they took in his features. Atop his head, tufts of hair stood aloft to resemble fox ears. A single golden tail swung behind him, but it didn't look like a ghastly appendage boiling with malice. It instead looked solid and furred.

As they fought to regain their composure, Naruto stood calm and collected. He made no move; though, they weren't aware enough to realize just how still he stood. They weren't aware that, internally, a dialogue was taking place between host and tenant. They were only aware that his very presence was pushing down on them, and his powerful chakra seemed more compact than usual.

* * *

"You want to do what now?" Naruto looked dumbfounded. He also stood shakily as his mindscape seemed to waver back and fourth between a familiar, hated red chakra and unfamiliar, welcoming silver chakra. He didn't understand it, but he chalked it up to some weird effect of Kyuubi.

She smiled devilishly. "I want to talk to that pompous idiot." As he quirked his lip in questioning confusion, she continued. "I need your permission to use your body to talk to him, so I'm asking you to let me talk to him." His expression didn't change, and she sighed. "Honestly, I want to wipe that pretentious look off his face. Even after you splendidly shot him down, he thinks he's better than you and those he callously stomped on."

"Uh-huh…" Naruto nodded his head in mock understanding. He didn't know what game she was playing with him, but he didn't want to foolishly hand over control of his body with no guarantee of getting it back. "How do I know you're telling the truth? This might be some trick to get free, and I'm sure I can handle him on my own anyway."

Her devilish grin morphed into a playful smirk. "Oh really?" She chuckled. "You don't even know what's going on with your chakra, and I can't risk you losing control now of all times. Besides…" She pointed to the choker around her neck. "…I can't do _anything_ without your permission…" She paused to tilt her head back and fourth. "…well, unless your life's in danger and you _can't_ give me permission, but that's a whole other ball game."

He tapped his chin in thought. She effectively admitted to being powerless unless he gave his permission. He couldn't imagine the male Kyuubi saying anything remotely similar, even to attain his freedom. It was beneath him. However, the words weren't enough to convince him. If she really was different, she needed to prove it. His old prankster habits kicked in, and a foxy smirk overtook his features. "If you want my permission _so_ bad, dance around like a kabuki, and I mean _exactly_ like a kabuki, and say 'Naruto is my master'."

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Do I really have to?" She half groaned, half growled when he simply nodded. She closed her eyes and willed into existence the traditional kabuki garb and makeup, already in place. As the fans appeared in her hands, she sent him a hard gaze. "I better not have to do this _every_ time!" He indicated nothing, and she fulfilled his request.

A humiliating dance and statement later, she waved her arms almost frantically as if reacting to spider's webbing. The horrid garb and makeup gone, she turned a hard glance to him. He seemed well pleased with himself as he nearly grinned ear to ear. With a roll of her eyes and sigh, she made her request again. "Can I _please_ borrow your body to talk to Nagato?"

He grinned, and the mindscape faded.

* * *

Naruto flexed his arms, a seemingly innocent gesture. Nagato tensed, and Konan was almost thrown back by unexpected pressure. He held his hand aloft and inspected it as he gripped and released it in and out of a fist. He flexed his arm as if getting a feel for his body or power, an action greatly confusing the Akatsuki pair. His behavior seemed unusual. They didn't know if it was a good sign or not.

Suddenly, he turned his full attention to them. His expression seemed out of place. His smile almost split his face, but it seemed to promise retribution if they tried anything. His presence bore down on them more than it ever had, and they honestly feared what was to come for the first time since Yahiko died. "Now that your done telling your woes, let me tell _you_ what an immortal knows of pain and loss."

Nagato and Konan's eyes widened in realization. "You're the Kyuubi?!" Konan said before her partner. "How? Your seal is supposed to keep you locked in his subconscious. You shouldn't be able to come to the surface, let alone _speak_ through him!" She was surprised and had no explanation. It should have been impossible, but Kyuubi no Kitsune was talking through the blond genin.

Naruto laughed. "Oh, we have a deal. I want to talk to you, so I'm temporarily allowed to. Don't worry; I have to something equally valuable for him." He held up his hand and wagged a finger. "Now, now, don't go interrupting my story. You weren't interrupted by kit during your long spiel, so I expect the same courtesy." He paused with a grin that bore his teeth.

When they didn't attempt to interrupt, he continued. "I know more of pain and loss than you ever could. In fact, kit knows a lot more than you give him credit for." He shook his head with a shrug. "Instead of blaming others and pouting, he's lived to overcome it. Through adversity, he's come to his own answer. The truth is, you ran from yours long ago." He paused to chuckle. "Oh, but you're expecting my tale."

"It all started hundreds of years ago, but a long story would just bore you. I think I'll start a mere century ago, at a massacre." He gave Nagato a hard look. "Akatsuki wasn't around back then, but a man with similar means to a very different objective certainly was. He wanted the power of the bijuu in order to unite the ninja world under his sole rule, and he used them to betray his best friend, clan, and village."

"I'm not sure how he spun his heinous act, and I don't care. I do know the result. Because of that man, dozens of my family were killed. The clan I loyally served was brought to the brink of destruction, and the village he helped found was nearly razed by his own hands." He paused at the bitter taste of the man's accursed name before he answered the questions their eyes were asking. "That man was Uchiha Madara."

"We were careless. We didn't think a jutsu like that existed, but that brat's eyes were different from other Uchiha. Somehow, he ravaged the minds of the bijuu hosts and extracted the great chakra beings. The hosts died, but the bijuu couldn't seek vengeance. The same jutsu was able to put the bijuu under his command, and he attacked his very home."

"Of course, Madara was defeated. His best friend was also his long time rival, Senju Hashirama. Somehow, his clan's kekkei genkai was able to quell the bijuu. Because Madara had ensured the bijuu would be hated, Hashirama was left with a dilemma. They could not be contained or killed, at least not by normal means. Without knowing what to do, he called a Council of Shadows."

"Not wishing to upset the balance of power, he gave each Kage enough bijuu to maintain peace. He maintained..." He growled at the bitter taste of another word. "…_possession_ of only me, Kyuubi no Kitsune. As he was trying to figure out what to do with me, survivors of my family visited Konoha to retrieve me. We left, turning our backs in disgust on Konoha and the other villages. The Uchiha were forever burned into our memories as traitors and self-righteous brats."

He lowered his gaze. A sad undertone entered his voice. "Which brings us to nearly sixteen years ago... Impossibly, Madara appeared before me again. Once more, I was torn from my host and forced to witness a family member's death. I snapped and went on a rampage, not wishing to be entrapped as I sought revenge."

He returned his gaze, cold as ice, to his captivated audience. "Naruto shares my pain there. You see; his family was _my_ family! Madara directly killed his okaa-san by extracting me and indirectly killed his otou-san when I was sealed in him." He paused to let the revelation sink in. "I imagine Madara started Akatsuki. I highly _doubt_ his ambitions have disappeared."

He growled and pulled his open palm back. As he concentrated chakra, a familiar whirring came to life. As the _Rasengan_ took shape, its familiar glow further highlighted Naruto's features. He looked more human than he normally did when calling on the Kyuubi's chakra. Instead of a cloak, his chakra seemed condensed only into the tail swishing behind him.

"You attacked Konoha for some misguided belief that _peace_ would just naturally follow. You killed countless of kit's friends, and you forced him to mourn over the loss of the first person to show a deep, _deep_ interest in him. He may not want to kill you, but I sure do!" He took one step forward, and Konan flinched.

"I never fully trusted Madara, but I always thought our ideals were similar." He stared directly into Naruto's eyes as he turned his attention to him. "He cleverly spun and crafted his lies, but your words and how you spoke them were undoubtedly the truth." He turned to Konan. "I should have listened more carefully your words. Madara has betrayed our ideals."

Konan was speechless as she looked between Nagato and Naruto. She hated fighting, but she was willing to do anything for Nagato, especially after Yahiko's death. She never believed Madara's path would lead to their ideal of peace, but the man she loved was so filled with hatred that he had lost himself. Were they finally, forcibly ending their false road?

"Hello?" Naruto almost sang glanced between them. "I didn't get this ball out to leave it sitting. I want to play with it, so just finish whatever it is you want to say to each other." He watched their expressions for any clues to what they were thinking, but he was surprised by what he saw. There was anger, but it was directed elsewhere. There was, more interestingly, a calculating look to the self-proclaimed deity's eyes.

Nagato finally nodded his head. "We're in no condition to fight Madara, and it's doubtful we could win at our strongest." He looked to Konan. "Though Jiraiya trained us, Madara fine-tuned our unique skills. His Sharingan was able to see what Jiraiya could not, and he seemed to have intimate knowledge of my Rinnegan."

He expressly pointed to Naruto. "Your host, however, is an unpredictable element that not even I could compensate for. I had to abandon my careful planning the moment he showed up on the field of battle, in spite of my desire not to. I tried, and failed, to stick to plan." He gave his junior a pointed look. "I doubt even Madara's Sharingan can predict you."

Konan looked worriedly to him. "What are you planning Nagato?" He simply pointed to a pile of odd, even compared to the Pein Rikudou, rods. Her eyes went wide and she shook her head disagreeably. "No! It'll kill you! You can't expend any more chakra than you already have!" She shook her head, tears choking her eyes. "No! I-I can't lose you, too!"

"Uh..." Naruto trailed off in confusion. "What, exactly, are you guys planning? You know I'm not about to let you, uh, power up just so you can attack me again. I can and _will_ stop you before you can...use one of those...rods to..." He paused to consider his words. "...supplement your chakra."

Konan turned a pained expression to him. Nagato recognized her distress, but he chose instead to answer Kyuubi no Kitsune's query. "I have all the jutsu of the Pein Rikudou. When I kill somebody, I hold onto their soul. As such, I am capable of reviving anybody I have killed. However, it is no simple feat. It requires a vast amount of chakra, something I am sure you've noticed I am short of."

Naruto nodded. He easily understood the man's words, but he didn't understand his reasoning. "You attacked Konoha and trampled on her shinobi. Why should I believe that you are willing to risk you life to restock our fighting force? You could simply gather allies to fight Madara, or you could recruit the defeated remnants of Konoha. Tsk, you could even revive everybody you killed as _puppets_."

Nagato nodded. "I cannot dispute your logic. It is something, I'm sure, you could never understand." He looked into Konan's eyes as he continued. His next words were as much for her as Naruto and Kyuubi no Kitsune. "I have existed only for pain since Yahiko was stolen from us. I ignored how a pure existence might create peace. I thought…and still do think that the lack of experience will lead to short-lived peace and ultimate destruction."

He turned his gaze, Rinnegan burning, to meet his junior's eyes. "I still hate Konoha. I hate the world of ninja, and I want to see it burn." He paused and took a deep breath. "However, I find myself conflicted. I said those words many years ago, and part of me wants to believe them. Before I have the chance to change my mind, let me honor the pure heart buried under years of pain and hatred."

Naruto closed his eyes, and his features altered slightly. His chakra tail became mostly transparent and silvery, and the formally dense chakra seemed to spread over his body like a cloak. When he opened his eyes, they could tell the host was back in control of his body. "I don't want to kill for revenge, but I won't let you harm anybody else! If you're lying, don't expect any mercy."

Nagato nodded. He didn't doubt the teen's promise of retribution. Though he wasn't sure of his decision, he knew he couldn't continue fighting in his condition. It was better to leave the future in the hands of the hopeful than the malicious. He gave his junior a hard look as Konan finished loading one of the strange rods.

He was never one to betray a promise, but, for a moment, he considered using the rod's chakra boost to attack the jinchuuriki. His chances for victory were low, and such a waste of energy would only ensure Madara's eventual victory. He hated to admit it, but he was relying on somebody with no real world experience.

As he molded his chakra, he reflected on the past. He didn't ever doubt or regret his actions. Attacking Konoha was the right thing to do to obtain the power he needed. Despite ultimately failing to kill the female Hyuuga, he _did_ teach the boy more about pain. Really, only hearing about Jiraiya's death and sensing a lack of chakra after the fact were pointless. He had to _witness_ the death of somebody precious to understand what it was like to lose Yahiko.

No, Nagato decided he didn't regret anything. His decisions were right. The world needed pain to live on peacefully. He didn't know, ultimately, if the path of hope or of pain would lead to true peace, but he knew both coexisted within Naruto. His endeavors, passed on as famous lines in a book and infamous actions, would shape the world's peace.

Acknowledging that he wouldn't be around to see the fate of the ninja world, he closed his eyes and directed his technique. He wasn't lying when he said he held onto the souls felled by his hand, or his Pein Rikudou as the case may be. He could toy with the strings of fate, but he couldn't _stop_ them from catching up to him. With a final push, the souls in his grasp left to rejoin their fallen bodies.

He sharply inhaled and released a staggered breath. "Uzumaki Naruto, I hate the malice Madara could inflict far more than I hate Konoha. Do not mistakenly believe I do this for ideals long past. You'll realize some day…you aren't so different than I." His eyes closed, and he slumped forward. The exhausted rod was the first to eject and fall to the ground, steaming. The rest of his strange contraption followed shortly.

Naruto lowered his gaze. It was a strange way to end a battle. To the end, he couldn't really change his senior's point of view. He could only remind him of how he used to feel and hope for the best. He also realize what was worst of all. His ideals were compared to somebody led astray by grief and a madman. He looked up when he noticed movement.

Konan was already gathering the bodies of her fallen love and his Pein Rikudou. "Nagato always suspected Madara had other plans for the bijuu, but he believed he could gather the power and forces to end those ambitions and carry out his own." She faced him, teary eyed, as she continued. "He lost his humanity when Hanzou and Danzou attacked our comrades and took Yahiko's life. Don't you dare waste his sacrifice!"

She stared coldly even as tears continued to stream down her face. Naruto nodded, turned, and left. She was left alone to weep for the man she loved. She didn't know if or when their paths would cross again, but she only hoped true peace was achieved long before then. She used what chakra she had to leave immediately. Madara could easily find her if she lingered.

* * *

Hinata smiled. She wasn't sure why, but she suddenly felt warm. Though her body should be aching, she felt comfortable. She felt as if somebody was smiling protectively down on her. It wasn't the same feeling as her mother, but it was still familiar. The feeling was also alive and had a flow all its own. Unwittingly, she mouthed Naruto's name.

Katsuyu finished telling everybody she could about Naruto and Nagato's conversation. It set their wills ablaze and galvanized many to more readily accept the jinchuuriki. The effect was nearly instant, and it was consistent among those loyal to Tsunade. Very few of Konoha's shinobi _didn't_ hear the conversation, and it was valuable information for understanding the masses.

Hinata didn't need to hear Katsuyu to know what occurred. Instinctively, she understood. Naruto refused to walk down the dark path of destruction known as revenge. He chose the high ground and sought another way. He had made proud the memories of the Fourth and Jiriaya. He had shown courage and determination far beyond the average shinobi. Once more, she felt inspiration just knowing what he had done.

Some small well of pride bubbled up in her. Along with praise and admiration towards Naruto, similar tales spread of her heroism. She was surprised to hear the word used for her actions, but she wasn't surprised to hear some of the speculation. She, however, was aghast to her _disappointment_ that he might choose her over this girl or that. Sakura, Shion, and Sasame were tough enough competition!

No matter what thoughts tried to invade, she still smiled. She felt all warm and fuzzy but only partially understood why. She mostly ignored the conversations and hustle and bustle around her. She wanted to embrace what she currently felt. She wanted to keep the feeling close to her heart and never forget it. She might have to spend weeks in the hospital recovering from her injuries, but she could spend lifetimes remembering the warm, welcoming sensation overpowering any aches she had.

However, near panic set in when conversation seemed to die when somebody mentioned Naruto's return. As Sakura and Ino helped her up, she realized, for the first time, that she had to face the consequences of her confession. She had honestly thought she was going to die! She couldn't leave the man of her affections without knowledge that _somebody_, somewhere loved him from the bottom of her heart, with all her body and soul.

Her blush grew with the crowd as they neared the village gates. What was left of the proud shinobi village didn't seem welcoming, but her people put their best forth. Even civilians were mixing in with the crowds. They knew who their hero was, and a quiet chanting slowly grew into a roaring welcome as the Fourth's legacy came into view.

He was stunned speechless.

All his life, he was shunned and hated. He had to fight and scrape just for one person to acknowledge him. It took everything he had to go from the class clown to the reliable friend. More than anything, he wanted acknowledgement. He was beginning to understand it wouldn't take becoming Hokage to earn the respect and admiration he longed so much fore.

Naruto looked at Hinata. He blushed and quickly looked away. Not long ago, he didn't think anybody acknowledged him as much as she. At the very least, he thought they were dead…except for Kakashi. He had to admit, even their acknowledgement seemed to pale in comparison to the dark, shy heiress.

As he greeted his friends, he thought about how he saw her. At first, she seemed a bit weird and aloof. She wasn't a bad person, but she was hard to notice and didn't exert herself too much. He didn't see her that way anymore, by _any_ stretch of the imagination. There were few he thought he could count on more than her.

She was brave, a lot braver than she gave herself credit. She was strong, a lot stronger than she seemed to realize. She was also a lot more similar to him than he knew when he first met her. Until he made the blood oath to beat Neji, he hadn't known how looked down upon she was. He didn't realize how much she wanted and stove to be better than she was before.

As his friends shook his hand or hugged him, he thought about how much had changed over the years. She was still shy, but she took each day as a step forward. He could tell by looking at her just how much she had already overcome. She was different, but any differences only made her more similar.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice when he was pulled away from his friends. He blinked in surprise as he realized his surroundings were different. He could still hear the celebrations and general jovial tunes just out of sight. He looked at Kanaeru, Gayt, and Star as he wondered why they pulled him away.

"I never would have thought you could _talk_ your way out of this kind of situation." She heartily patted him on the back, sending him staggering forward for a moment. As he caught his balance and looked at her, she grinned and continued. "It's a wonder he _could_ revive most everybody, let alone did."

Her words caught his attention. "Wait, he didn't revive _everybody_?" The inclusion of an extra word hadn't escaped his notice. She sadly shook her head, but he hoped against hope that what she was implying was wrong. "Do you think…somebody _else_ took our shinobi while nobody was looking?"

She carefully looked to Gayt, but he shook his head. Her suspicions confirmed, she sighed but continued. "Don't know who exactly's listening, so I'm not going to repeat this. Listen well, kit." She took a calming breath and spoke as evenly as she could. "The fact some man named Danzou joined Hanzou with ANBU-like forces didn't go unnoticed, and now we've got confirmed reports of ANBU squads and some chunin and jonin dead…messy dead."

Naruto didn't need to be told the hidden meaning. "You think he'd really go out and kill his own comrades during an attack like this?" Her rueful expression was the only answer he needed. He clenched his fists. "Doesn't he realize Konoha needs all the shinobi she can get?! Who does he think he is?"

She sighed. "Well, he might be playing politics." She held up a finger to stop him before he interrupted. "If he is, he's a big player you can't handle. He's somebody you've gotta leave to the clan and jonin councils…as long as Tsunade's out that is." She covered her ears at the very expected shout.

"What?! Obaa-chan's hurt?!" He paused to look down and shift through his memories. "I-I know her chakra was low, but…" His eyes went wide in realization, and he returned his attention to her. "Do you think this Danzou character hurt obaa-chan? If he did anything, why I oughta…"

Kanaeru moved her hands up and down in placating manner. "Now, now, calm down Naruto. Tsunade's just fine. She's a bit weak from using so much chakra, but she's alive." She heaved a sigh as he calmed down and carefully continued. "She's in a coma, but ANBU have been assigned to watch her twenty-four/seven. Nobody, _especially_ Danzou, is getting anywhere near her."

Naruto nodded. At least it was a bit of consolation. He didn't like the idea of leaving Tsunade to only ANBU forces. If whoever Danzou was could recruit the masked personal army of the Hokage, he wasn't sure they could be trusted. Though both Kakashi and Yamato were ANBU, he had his doubts. He only hoped they proved to be wrong.

In the meantime, he had other concerns. He squared his shoulders and prepared for the worst. In the most serious tone he had, he asked a new question plaguing him. "Hey Kanaeru, how are you related to me exactly?" In all the confusion, he hadn't really thought of it much. His mind was in a haze when she said it, and thinking Hinata was dead hadn't helped.

She sighed. "I was expecting this, but I'm still not ready." He looked at her expectantly. He wasn't letting the issue drop, and she knew it. Scratching the back of her neck, she decided to get on with it. First, she had her own question to ask. "How much has Kyuu-chan told you?"

He was a bit surprised at the nickname, but he continued anyway. "She told me about how my kaa-san and tou-san died." He looked down and tried and failed to contain his anger. His fists shook at his side as he tried to unclench his teeth. "She told me about what Madara and Orochimaru did."

She gently patted his shoulder as she pouted. "Yeah, bijuu don't tend to let go of a grudge so easily, and they hate it when somebody they consider family is killed the most. Kyuu-chan held onto resentment and vengeance too strongly for Minato to properly handle, so he didn't realize he messed up the seal." She heard a sigh and looked at her nephew in confusion.

He stared at her and tilted his head to one side, expectantly. She nervously chuckled. "Oh, right, right, you want to know how we're related." She cleared her throat and prepared for the worst. She had to react quickly to cover her ears. "Well, funny story. You see; your kaa is my nee." She moved her hands quickly enough, but stopped just shy of her ears. Her nephew didn't react as expected.

The latest revelation was quite literally the straw that broke the camel's back. On top of everything else he learned, his mind just shut down. He literally stood unconscious as mental and physical fatigue caught up and overtook him. His eyes rolled back and eyelids fell as his body wavered.

Uzumaki Naruto was known as the number one, unpredictable, knuckleheaded ninja. His limit was just found. Uzumaki Naruto had just fainted.

* * *

Days later, the village was finding some semblance of normalcy. With Tsunade in a coma, the clan and jonin councils were leading civilian and shinobi alike in reconstruction. The best craftsmen from Fire and allied nations were called in to speed recovery. Konoha could not rest on her laurels because it could potentially mean lowered guard to an opportunistic enemy attack.

They still had a Shadow Council to think about. In such a time of crisis, many felt it important to seat a new Hokage. The reasons behind the decision were mixed. Some felt she would never fully recover and return from her coma too weak to lead let alone defend Konoha. Others felt they simply needed to be prepared if worse came to worst. Still others thought she was incompetent as a leader, often unfairly comparing her to the Third and Fourth.

No matter what feelings were behind the decision, the overwhelming majority felt a new Hokage needed to be appointed, even if temporary. They had to decide who would fill the position, and so the clan council called a meeting with the daimyo of Fire. The jonin council decided it was more prudent to continue missions and decided to make their final decision later.

Upon arrival, the powerful daimyo requested an audience with Konoha's hero. He was told Naruto was still in the hospital and required additional treatment. Not knowing the special conditions of the jinchuuriki, he accepted the explanation without question and, instead, called for an immediate session with the clan council.

On his way, he noticed some familiar faces and stopped on particularly young one. "Ah, why if it isn't Hyuuga-dono's heir apparent?" Hinata turned and bowed to the esteemed leader. She had met him a few times but was surprised he recognized her so quickly. "Where is Hyuuga-dono? I was hoping to hear his valuable opinion on the matter at hand."

She answered promptly and properly. "I regret to inform Fire-sama that otou-san is still visiting another country on a diplomatic mission. He was caught on important business elsewhere when our present situation arose. In his place, I will be attending and representing the prestigious Hyuuga clan." She only hoped she sounded proper and upheld the pride of her clan.

The Fire daimyo nodded in understanding. "I'm sure your opinion will be much appreciated. It is regrettable, but unavoidable, that Hyuuga-dono is unreachable during such a tragedy." He looked around then leaned in conspiratorially. "You look about the hero's age. Please tell me more about him later. I want to thank him properly for saving an important asset for Fire, after all."

He smiled as he ordered his royal guard to finish escorting him to the meeting chambers. He wanted the proceedings to be over with quickly, so everything could have the chance to return to normal. It was hard enough having Konoha at reduced strength after the Oto/Suna invasion orchestrated by Orochimaru. He really didn't want to deal with such a breach so soon.

As he sat at his exalted position, he looked around the chambers. He recognized everybody present. The eldest had advised the Third during his first and second terms seated as Hokage. The youngest was the Hyuuga teenager. He mentally noted where the Nara and Aburame clan heads sat. They tended to be the most knowledgeable and logical on the clan council. He valued their opinions as much, if not more, than the most powerful clan's.

When everybody was present, he called the meeting to order. There was only one objective to discuss, so he got right to it. "Konoha is in a crisis. The leader of Akatsuki attacked and single handedly brought the village to its knees. The current leader, Tsunade-dono, is in a coma. Nobody has speculated on when she might wake up, so a consensus has been reached that a new Hokage needs to be appointed."

He raised his hand to forestall any arguments. "It doesn't matter to me if we seat the Seventh or a interim. The jonin council will make the final decision anyway. We're only here to determine who has the _qualifications_ to hold the most powerful position in Konoha." He looked around the room. "The floor is open to suggestions."

A few names immediately flew out. Nara proposed Hatake Kakashi, and Aburame seconded. Danzou suggested himself, and Hokage's advisory council seconded. Someone mentioned Uzumaki Naruto, and a round of cheers seconded the nomination. A few more suggestions were made, but all were immediately shot down.

With a list of three, Fire daimyo listed what he knew starting with Danzou. "Danzou has a distinguish record. He injured himself defending an important fortress during an Iwa invasion. He has advised at least two Hokage, so he at least knows the duties of office even if he's never actually served. He has proposed increased military strength in anticipation to future offensives by enemy lands."

There were nods of acknowledgement around the room, but nobody dared interrupt as Fire daimyo continued. "Kakashi is a valued jonin and former ANBU captain. He was trained by the Fourth, and her rose through ranks quickly. He also trained our hero. He was the only one to accomplish, by all reports, the only successful kill of any of the Pein Rikudou."

There was some light applause, but silence reigned in anticipation to the last name. "Naruto recently saved the village, but his record is fairly empty. He was trained by Kakashi and Jiraiya, so he has a strong connection to the Fourth. He was, after all, trained by both master and pupil to Konoha's greatest Hokage. However, his success/failure rate is not something we should promote for a Hokage. As of now, he simply lacks experience."

As much as some thought of arguing around experience, they were forced to acquiesce. It could be misconstrued as a sign of weakness to appoint him Hokage, either Seventh or interim. They were really narrowed down to a mere two choices, as Fire daimyo elaborated. "Now we only need decide between Danzou and Kakashi. Both have a distinguished record and should be able to serve the village well."

Danzou stood and directly addressed the powerful leader of their land. "I disagree. Kakashi was taught by the same school of thought that brought us disaster." His statement brought great confusion as everybody looked around to try to figure out what he meant or if anybody understood. "Kakashi was trained by the Fourth who in turn was trained by Jiraiya and, in turn, the Third. The Third also trained the Fifth."

He sent his powerful gaze around the council table. "They foolishly preached the 'will of fire' that has brought us nothing but trouble. Jiraiya even taught this 'Pein Rikudou', better known as Nagato. If it weren't for their foolish ideals, we would never have been invaded by Akatsuki. We could have prepared properly, and our hero would have been more appropriately trained to deal with the threat."

The Fire daimyo noticed Nara about to object, but he felt compelled to interject. "That is a compelling argument. Jiraiya could be held accountable for what happened here, but we shouldn't mock the dead. Even so, I'm not sure I feel secure leaving Kakashi in charge."

"Tha-That's not true!" Everybody looked at Hinata as she cried out. She wanted to shrink away and hide in her jacket, but she had to defend Naruto's sensei. She couldn't face him if she allowed his image to be tarnished. She had to defend his ability to become Hokage, in the future of course. She swallowed and prepared to plow forward into a battle she wasn't sure she could handle.

* * *

Please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and my forum is open. I made a post in my forum quickly explaining why I wasn't able to make the second 'special' update.

This ends the Pein Rikudou Arc! The conclusion of the third(fourth) arc of my _Naruto_ fan fiction still has many questions up in the air, and it also heads directly into a completely original arc. Just to clarify, I never thought Naruto would take revenge on Nagato. Also, remember that I said Nagato retained all his cannon techniques. Yeah, everything I say has significance.

I realize my second "special" update never made it up (this chapter mind you), but my laptop finally bit the bullet. The new one I ordered arrived same day as usual updates, but you know what that means. I had to go through the initial setup and install all my usual programs. I'll try to have a short surprise up, but I make no promises. I want to get to my fourth(fifth) arc as much as most of you. I know this ending was kind of weak, but think about it logically. Naruto isn't likely to kill in cold blood, and his opponents were literally helpless. My explanations don't make too much sense, but I really needed to end it. Plus, I built enough hate for Madara and Danzou this arc.

As a side note, I noticed something absolutely pointless. Sakura, Shion, and Sasame all have 's' at the beginning of their names. You don't think about these things until two or three harem C3s put your story on their list. It's still pointless, though. Enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,010  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

Hateshiganai Mangekyou Sharingan - Eternal Kaleidoscope Copying Wheel Eye: As if the Uchiha didn't already have a ridiculous advantage, Madara seems to take even the Mangekyou Sharingan up a level.


	33. Chapter 30: Danzou's Trial

TimeShifter: The cliffhanger is just perfect to lead into the next arc, neh? Anyway, keep an eye out for my foreshadowing. Some of it might give you a chuckle as you realize just what I had going on.

* * *

**Chapter 30:  
Danzou's Trial  
**

Madara growled angrily. Nagato and Konan's defeat was one thing. Nagato using the Rinnegan to revive everybody he killed was something else altogether. He didn't know why the defeated pair went to such lengths to betray him. He knew they didn't trust him, but he always figured he had them on a pretty short leash.

Madara could control them because _he_ controlled their hatred. He easily toyed with them by stringing their hearts along contented paths of darkness and revenge. They could distrust him all they wanted as long as he maintained control. The last thing he wanted was a lack of control, and he had lost a lot of his tightly gripped control in their defiant last act.

He could only think of one real reason. Something Naruto said convinced the rage-filled, self-proclaimed deity that Konoha could defeat him, Madara the _true_ immortal. It would have made him laugh if he wasn't seething so. No even as irritated as he was, he knew a promise to defeat him could only weigh so much. Did the blond haired demon promise peace? Did he promise a peace without violence and death, much as Nagato's older ambition?

Madara doubted the second bearer of the Rinnegan was as foolish as to accept any peace offering. He was missing something, and he didn't know what. He turned, calming noticeably, to his last descendent. He didn't know if Sasuke could pull off any lofty ambitions, but he at least had to give the only survivor of the Uchiha Massacre some credit.

He scratched his chin in contemplation. Letting the Kage of the various lands continue to romp and roam freely was out of the question. He could have his war hawks kill them off and subsequently control their land, a military coup de tat so to speak. It wasn't full proof, but, at the very least, it would give Akatsuki more leverage.

Initially, he was going to assign Sasuke and Hawk to accomplish the task, attacking the Council of Shadows. With Suigetsu off to complete some unknown mission, he was left with few other options. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he came to a decision. "I'll call you when I have a task for you. For now, pursue whatever you want. I have some other business to attend to."

In a quick gust of wind, Madara disappeared in a swirl of black and orange. Sasuke nodded grimly and turned to his remaining subordinates. Karin and Juugo watched him expectantly. When he finally spoke, he sounded sullen, as if resigned to some fate. "It's too late to stop Suigetsu, so we'd better get to the designated meeting point." Without another word, he leapt into the distance, and his subordinates quickly followed.

There were many things running through Sasuke's mind. His elder didn't seem at all interested in reviving the Uchiha clan. His words and actions reminded the last Uchiha of somebody raging against an ancient slight. To top off his aggravation, Madara had a hand in the Uchiha massacre. He was only beginning to understand the reason, but he had already decided not to delve too deeply. He sought revenge first and Uchiha revival second.

He knew it was a long trip to their base hidden somewhere along the Fire/Rice border. He also intended to remain silent. Sensing his mood, Karin and Juugo decided it best not to bother him. As they traveled, he thought about what he did and, most of all, _didn't_ sense from Naruto during the battle against Nagato. It was eerie not quite understanding what he felt coming from a person he once called a true brother.

Naruto had changed. He wasn't even sure 'drastically' was the right word. His chakra was immense, even Juugo and Suigetsu felt it from their vantage point. It was easy to attribute the overabundance of chakra to the Kyuubi, but the balance also felt unusual. To his Sharingan, it looked like a third component was there that he couldn't quite identify.

However unsettling it might have been, it proved to be too great an obstacle for Nagato to overcome. The self-proclaimed deity fell to a supposed fool. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in thought. The village elders were the real fools. They sinned against the Uchiha by playing Konoha's fears against the hidden abilities of the Sharingan. They sinned against somebody he once felt comfortable calling a true brother by playing Konoha's fear of the pure chakra entity.

For their sins, the elders were going to perish in the fires of Konoha. From the ashes, a new, prouder Konoha would rise. The Uchiha would stand proudly from their rightful position, revived and revered. It was _almost_ too bad; in the end, the true brother he spared would have to be sacrificed for the new world order.

* * *

"Come on, talk to me Naruto-kun!" Kanaeru raised her voice slightly in frustration. She looked on sadly as he lethargically stared out the window. The white, puffy clouds were high, and the birds were singing. In fact, one innocently pecked at something unseen on a nearby tree branch. She looked pleadingly over her shoulder to Sakura.

The pink haired kunoichi shrugged and shook her head in shocked confusion. Before the older kunoichi entered, the blond genin had been as obnoxious and hyper as ever. He was bouncing around demanding to be let out of the hospital. The atmosphere changed the moment she entered. His expression almost looked gloomy. There was a spark of resentment in his eyes.

Sakura honestly couldn't blame him. All his life, he didn't know he had family. She was willing to bet a part of him, however small and forgotten, had felt abandoned. To suddenly know he had family, she didn't blame him for feeling depressed and letting supposedly lapsed feelings resurface. She also knew, however, he wasn't one to hold a grudge.

Neither knew what Naruto was thinking. He hadn't really spoken since he fainted. Shizune forbade visitors his first day in the hospital, so only she and Sakura were able to speak with him. He refused all visitors the next day, so only medical staff spoke with him. He only answered simple yes or no questions.

In reality, they had to accept facts. In the course of a few hours, he had gained a great deal of new insights. He knew he had friends. He was as precious to his precious people as they were to him. Hinata spoke and acted volumes of her love for him. He had people he considered his family. Kanaeru was related by blood. He lived most of his life not knowing who or where his parents were. They were dead, and his father was supposedly loved by the people.

Of course, his mind was also processing what happened with Nagato. However, his darkened point of view was easier to understand and digest than the personal revelations. He made peace with and befriended Gaara, another jinchuuriki begrudged by his own people. He was close to Sasuke before he turned rouge. No, he understood pain so deep it created hatred and desire for revenge.

He wasn't even paying attention to what was going on around him. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to talk with and get to know Kanaeru. He wanted to know why he was left alone for so long. He wanted to learn more about his parents. He wanted to talk for hours, asking questions and getting to know where he came from.

Instead, he felt like all his energy left him the moment she entered the room. He turned from fighting the nurses to leave to simply staring out the window into the oddly peaceful village…ruins. The sound of wind through the window flap couldn't soothe the ache in his heart.

"Ah, so troublesome." He turned to face the new presence as he sat back in the chair beside his bed. Shikamaru leaned back, pushing the chair to lean with him. It creaked as he perfectly balanced his weight. "It just doesn't feel like Konoha without the loudmouth running around making life troublesome." He shrugged. "At least Hinata's making life a bit interesting."

Naruto perked up slightly at the mention of his weird, dark precious person. His expression lightened with his mood, and his attention seemed focused on the brilliant strategist. "I heard from tou-san; she did a bang up job representing the Hyuuga. Said something about not believing it was her first time standing alone at the council. Fire-sama was real impressed, too; tou-san said."

Shikamaru eyed Naruto warily from one, barely open eye. "You know; she came to visit you. They said you weren't accepting visitors, and she _really_ wanted to talk to you before she had to prepare for the clan council meeting." The way he emphasized 'really' made the blond genin flinch. Satisfied with the feeling of guilt, the strategist continued. "I wonder if I should tell her to try her luck again…"

"I…" Naruto started but trailed off. He was silently thankful when he was given the time to collect his thoughts. "I'll go see her, see everyone." He paused to look up at the ceiling. "I'm just..." He sighed. "…a bit overwhelmed." He fell back against his pillow, dejected. He didn't mean to make everybody worry, but he had a lot on his mind and couldn't think straight.

Shikamaru nodded his head. "I heard they didn't want to let you out of the hospital just yet." He couldn't suppress a chuckle when the blond flinched. "They said something about exhausting enough chakra to kill ten jonin." He catalogued his friend's knowing flinch. "Of course, they were exaggerating. There's _no way_ you could pull something like that."

Naruto nervously chuckled. "Yeah…" He knew he couldn't hide anything from the genius of his graduating class, but he didn't feel like delving into it. Instead, he decided to learn what he could about the clan council. "Anyway, you said Hinata-chan impressed your tou-san at the clan council?"

Shikamaru nodded. He was unfazed by the avoided question. Some things were better left to a clear head and ready heart. Instead, he let his chair fall forward. When it sat firmly on all four legs, he sat cross legged and tented his hands in front of his mouth. "Yeah, it started when Fire-sama stated that Konoha needed a leader. They were discussing potential candidates for an interim or permanent replacement for Tsunade-sama…"

* * *

"I-It's true that Jiraiya-sama taught Nagato-san, but…" Hinata shook off an eerie feeling scratching at the back of her mind. She felt oddly compelled to stop, but she unflinchingly continued. "…but Nagato-san strove to make peace be-before…" She looked to Danzou, further compelled to stop through fear and a strange force of will.

She shook her head. "…before Hanzou betrayed that peace he sought." She returned her gaze to their daimyo, as if suddenly remembering he was there. "Nagato-san did hate Konoha before he met Jiraiya-sama, but something changed as they spent time together. He came to forgive Konoha and subscribe to Jiraiya-sama's drive for peace."

The Fire daimyo nodded. Strangely, part of him wanted to stop her from speaking. Still, he respected her father. His insight often brought in a great deal of revenue and helped Fire prosper economically and militarily. He would feel foolish to ignore his daughter and current heir. Still, he felt compelled to remind her of the facts. "No matter what he may have felt for a short time, he _did_ attack Konoha."

Hinata looked down. "That was…" Her voice was quiet, trembling. She couldn't find the self confidence that made her act to save Naruto. She felt a strange compulsion to stop. She didn't feel like she had changed at all since graduating from the academy. She felt like the shy, scared little girl nobody noticed, and she didn't know why.

Instead of giving in and quivering like she knew she would have all those years ago, she dug deep for the courage and self confidence she felt not too many days ago. She dug for what made her stand up and fight the strongest of the Pein Rikudou bodies when she knew she would lose. Her fists clenched and unclenched as she fought an unsettling feeling that she couldn't place.

Her jaw snapped tight, clenched as she found a reserve she nearly forgot about. She looked into the Fire daimyo's eyes with a confidence she always longed to show her father, Neji, and, most of all, Naruto. She stomped out and ignored the strange feeling to stop. "If Danzou didn't stand beside Hanzou, Pein Rikudou would never have been born from Nagato."

Her firm voice and stance surprised much of the clan council. They knew her as the shy heiress, a wallflower hardly capable of speaking for herself. A few knew about how she stood against Tendou, but several still dismissed it as an exaggeration. As her words sank in, eyes turned to Danzou. Suspicion showed in their expressions as if they just remembered something.

Konoha's war hawk didn't skip a beat. "I'm afraid this little girl is too inexperienced in diplomacy to understand what was obviously going on." He sent her a vehement glower before continuing. Though incensed, he did not show it outwardly. "I, alone, saw the political and military gains to be made. I saw an opportunity, and I took it."

He settled into a lecturing pose. He was going to teach Hiahi's daughter what it meant to stand in a political arena without the necessary weapons, especially experience. "Rain was suffering from social turmoil after the end of the war, and Hanzou was fighting to regain his country. Self righteous 'freedom fighters' rose up to oppose his rightful leadership, and he sought to quell them."

"Hanzou was a powerful leader at the time, and it would have benefited Konoha greatly to have an ally in him. The rabble who opposed his leadership were little more than extremists looking for vindication." He turned his gaze to the Fire daimyo. "As can often be the case, there were complications. Though my troops and I fought hard, we could not confirm the elimination of every 'freedom fighter' that day."

Shibi quietly spoke up before heated accusations could be thrown. "I must point out, Danzou-san, that everything Katsuyu-san saw and heard was meticulously logged." He lightly shifted his shades. "Shikamaru-kun and Rikka-kun toiled assiduously to ensure the veracity remained on record for review. I believe it prudent to confer what Nagato-san revealed." He pointedly nodded to Shikaku.

The Nara head sighed. Though he was happy to finally have his chance to speak, he wasn't thrilled about having to work. "According to the report, the freedom fighters you disparage were a group of like-minded individuals seeking peace for Rain. They were led by a young man named Yahiko; Nagato and Konan stood by _him_."

The Fire daimyo looked at him expectantly, so continued after rolling his shoulders. "Anyway, they set up a meeting with Hanzou, and they come to find only an ambush waiting. Danzou and a group of masked leaf ninja stood with Hanzou. The fact Nagato called them ANBU is disturbing as they are the Hokage's _personal_ army." He stared pointedly to Danzou. "_No_ mission was authorized for any ANBU squads to Rain during that time period."

The war hawk almost smirked. "I didn't take any ANBU with me to Rain, and Sarutobi would have stopped Hanzou from doing what was necessary. Instead, I took ninja I _personally_ trained. I suppose you could call them an organization, an origination named ROOT. I trained them personally to defend the roots of Konoha and Fire. ROOT's sole mission is to increase the military power and readiness of Konoha in case of emergency."

"It was the soft-hearted nature of the last two Hokage that endangered this village! We were at war, and we didn't finish our enemies' ambitions while we could. It was foolish to leave Hanzou alive or Rain alone. Instead of sweeping through the land and wiping out the threat, we let is spread like a disease to our roots. As it was no longer in Konoha's best interest to eliminate Hanzou, I made a deal."

Danzou stood, over half the clan council oddly captivated by his very presence. He slowly approached the high seated Fire daimyo. He gestured a sweeping bow. "Fire-sama, I only work to make Konoha and Fire the best they can be. Don't you think we should work hard to ensure we are a power nobody would dare stand against? With my personally trained soldiers, we can stand against the invading hordes."

As the Fire daimyo looked on as if hypnotized, it was Hinata who found her voice among the clan council. "That's wrong!" She cringed but didn't back away from the venomous glare Danzou gave her. "Nobody's trying to invade! We have to stand united against Akatsuki because they want to wipe _all_ ninja out! _You_ made Nagato-san a threat when you tore the last of his family from him!"

"Things happen in war, little girl." Danzou practically spat at her. "Though better trained than ordinary ninja, they still can't see everything on the battlefield. We thought we got them all after that one brat brought out his unusual toy, but I suppose he managed to get away with that other one, the paper girl." He diplomatically left out his opinion of the academy; it was a joke in his mind.

He turned back to the Fire daimyo. Oddly, he seemed to react as if there were no interruption at all, as if Hinata had not been so rudely insulted. "Imagine the power Fire could obtain. If I were Hokage, I could easily devote everything to the security of Fire. You'd have personally trained ROOT assigned to protect you, and _nobody_ would dare stand against you. We could even end our fear of other Kage and their villages."

Hinata shook her head. _"No! This is wrong! Why is Fire-dono acting like this?! It's like he's not even listening to what I've said. He's even ignored Nara-san and Aburame-san. It's not like him. It's not like him at all!"_ She shook an odd feeling from the back of her mind. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite place it.

"There is a war coming." Danzou continued without pause. "Three peace loving Hokage lulled us into a false sense of reality. If I had been given the Uzumaki like I asked, he would have been trained by ROOT into a highly effective ninja from the start. He would have long ago surpassed what he displayed the other day, and Akatsuki would fear _us_ instead."

Hinata's eyes went wide, and her full attention turned to Konoha's war hawk. _"He wanted to make Naruto-kun ROOT?!"_ She shook her head fervently. _"No! That's not right! He's talking about brainwashing an innocent child like it was nothing!"_ She paused in her thoughts and noticed a few heads nodding. _"Wait, brainwashing…? H-He couldn't… Could he?"_

She swallowed nervously. If she was wrong, she could get into a lot of trouble. She had to do something. She had to do something for the most precious person in her life. She wanted to support Kakashi for him. Perhaps even more than that, she had to protect _Tsunade_ for him. If Danzou had his way, he might be able to do more than become an interim.

Taking a deep breath, she settled her nerves. She was going to fight an uphill battle if she was wrong, but she was willing to take the risk. Something didn't feel right, and that something was gnawing at the back of her mind. She thrust her hands together to form familiar family hand seals. "Byakugan!" Her perception changed as chakra and blood vessels bulged.

Except for Shikaku and Shibi, the able ninja on the clan council were on their feet in an instant. Though the spike in chakra brought no killer intent, Fire daimyo was surrounded quickly by a protective array. It was Danzou, however, who shrank away from the crowd. His lips twisted in a snarl to low to make out.

Hinata focused all her attention on Danzou. She ignored the calm and not so calm demands for her to stand down. She maintained the family hand seal and deepened her focus. Her eyes narrowed as her vision focused on and enhanced her target. As his chakra pathways magnified, she grew more and more surprised by what she saw.

She didn't know how to explain it. His chakra pathways under his bandages were different. They reminded her of Sasuke's chakra pathways. They were also active. He was using some kind of technique, and the gnawing at the back of her mind grew worse. She saw his chakra react and flare, and the gnawing grew worse.

She released her focus on him and generally looked around the room. The council members calling for her to stand down looked like their chakras were being affected by an outside force. They weren't under a genjutsu, but they weren't acting completely on their own either. A few looked unaffected, but they couldn't act against the flow of the crowd. They were trapped in the chaos she started by activating her Byakugan. However, even they didn't seem to notice Danzou's flaring chakra.

She pointed somewhat hesitantly at him, finally snapping that gnawing feeling in the back of her mind. She suspected he was the cause as she called him out. "Danzou-san, you've been actively using your chakra this entire time." Heads swung in his direction, astonished eyes resting on him.

He huffed, ready to reprimand her assertion and point out that she activated her kekkei genkai. She cut him off even before he opened his mouth to speak. "You've been doing something to affect the minds of Fire-sama and the clan council. I've felt a strange compulsion the entire time until I noticed what you were doing." She paused to lower her hands to her side, Byakugan still glaring.

She pointedly turned her head from side to side. As a Hyuuga, there was no need, but she was getting a point across. She also noted some clan council members breaking the strange hold. "He has two, different chakra pathways. It's as if he had multiple transplants. Underneath his bandages, my Byakugan sees pathways similar to Uchiha Sasuke."

Her declaration was enough to break the rest of the clan council members out of their daze. Even Fire daimyo glared angrily at Konoha's war hawk. It was one thing to play with pretty words and dance politically. It was quite another to use ninja techniques to play mind games and control the path a council followed.

As Danzou frowned and heatedly glared at Hinata, Fire daimyo spoke angrily. "Is that all the faith you have, Danzou? You think you can make me and the clan council dance around in the palm of your hand?" He turned to Hinata. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. Now, could you keep your eyes on him? It would be unsightly to have him control the proceedings once more."

She was about to nod, but a squad of ANBU appeared surrounding Danzou. His frown deepened with the lines of his face. He was angry, and things kept spiraling out of his control. The ANBU squad was led by a woman wearing a Hawk mask. Though Hinata knew who she was, she refrained from happily calling out to her. Identity was valuable to members of ANBU, especially the captains.

"Danzou…" Hawk started as calmly as she might order tea. "…you're under arrest for suspicion of murder and treason." The revelation brought gasps from around the clan council. She quickly eyed Hinata. "Several of your 'personally trained ROOT' have been convicted for the treasonous act of attacking and killing loyal Konoha shinobi during a time of crisis."

The lines on Danzou's face deepened with his frown. He was obviously seething, and he knew he had lost complete control of the situation. He openly glared at Hinata and stealthily reached inside his robes for his katana. As he focused chakra to his feet and prepared to behead his last annoyance, his eye was forced wide open. He was held in place by ANBU, threateningly. A kunai was to his jugular, another was pointed straight up his jaw, and another pressed into his back ready to tear cloth and break skin.

He suppressed a growl of pain when he noticed his wrist was broken. As his katana rattled against the floor, he noticed it was Hawk holding his hand at an unnatural angle. For a moment, he thought he could see red through the nonexistent eyeholes of her mask. "You are also under arrest under suspicion of the murder of a visiting dignitary from Kumo of Lightning."

Danzou's expression showed no sign of surprise or guilt. "You will find I am _not_ easily amused." His heated glower remained on the ANBU captain holding his hand hostage. He was in no position to fight back, and he could tell they weren't responding to his manipulative chakra. _"The little Hyuuga brat ruined a perfect opportunity."_

Hawk smirked haughtily to insult the elder shinobi further. "If we had acted when we first arrived, we might not have gotten such an easy confession out of you." Before he could retort, she practically snapped his arm as she twisted him around. She easily restrained him with chakra sealing tags. With him silenced and half-conscious, she ordered her squad to remove him to a cozy jail cell.

She politely turned and bowed to Fire daimyo. She had never personally dealt with him, but she had some dealings with dignitaries. She had arranged escorts and schedules for very wealthy visiting merchants. It was important to be as polite as possible. "I beg your pardon, Fire-sama. We couldn't allow Danzou-san to further manipulate the proceedings."

He nodded appreciatively. "You're dismissed, ANBU-san." He didn't even finish waving his hand before her form flickered and disappeared. He didn't appear surprised and quickly cleared his throat to return attention to the task at hand. "I must thank you, Hyuuga-dono, for recognizing the threat and acting upon it. Without your quick thinking, we might have let Danzou have the very control he desired."

She cutely blushed and bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you Fire-sama. It was my duty and pleasure to act in the best interest of Fire and Konoha." She fidgeted to quiet cheers and exuberant chuckles. She put her hands between her legs and continued to look down as discussions raged around her. She spoke her opinion when asked, but she felt comfortable with whatever the clan council decided about Kakashi's role.

Ultimately, the final decision on the fate of the Hokage position rested with the jonin council. The general consensus was to trust the jonin council and any medical reports on Tsunade. She was in a coma, but there was nothing the medics could say on her condition…yet anyway. They didn't know if she would recover, and they were unsure how fit for duty she might be upon recovery.

There were more questions floating around than anything else, but they at least decided on one thing. Hatake Kakashi would represent Konoha as the interim Hokage at the Council of Shadows. He was certainly capable of fighting at the same level as most Kage, and he was famous enough not to be disputed. They were comfortable with their choice.

* * *

Shikamaru was surprised; Naruto managed to remain silent the entire time he retold what his father relayed. The blond genin had an excited look on his face when he suddenly exclaimed just how happy he was. "Hinata-chan stood up to that crook?!" He continued after the genius nodded and nursed his ears. "That's so awesome!"

Shikamaru decided to tune his over enthusiastic friend out. He knew the blond could chatter on for hours about useless things. Though he was mostly not paying attention, part of him listened just closely enough to catch any worthwhile questions. From time to time, even he was surprised by the number one unpredictable ninja's insight. It was really scary some times.

"Hey Shikamaru, what did that ANBU mean when she said something about getting Danzou to confess?" Naruto's sudden question almost made the tactical genius fall out of his chair. He proved he was paying attention and had caught one of _the_ most important details. He even patiently waited for his lazy friend to recover.

Being lazy, it took a moment for Shikamaru to recover. He wasn't expecting an intelligent question so early. He was expecting to sit and happily laze about for half an hour waiting for the hyperactive ninja to calm down. Instead, he only had his peace for a sum of… He carefully looked to a clock. …ten minutes. He resigned himself with a sigh before answering.

"It may surprise you to know that _some_ people plan things out _before_ they attack." He chuckled when his blond friend appropriately humphed and crossed his arms over his chest morosely. "Anyway, ANBU just finished investigating ROOT members they caught as the clan council meeting started. Hawk was directing her squad members where and how to move when Hinata confronted Danzou."

As the hyperactive ninja smirked, the lazy ninja continued. "Tou-san said it was like watching a fresh genin suddenly take on a seasoned jonin." Shikamaru sighed when Naruto frowned. "Anyway, Hawk decided to wait and watch. That decision may have saved them from more trouble later."

"'cause Hinata-chan revealed Danzou was manipulating them!" The lazy ninja was taken aback at the hyperactive ninja's important insight. The blond genin had correctly deduced and concluded the benefits of waiting and consequences of rushing in headlong. It may have seemed like something simple, but, to anybody who knew the blond, it was a rather significant step.

Shikamaru smirked. He knew he was going to support his hyperactive friend's bid to be Hokage. He was sure he would play a big part in his office. He only felt more secure backing the golden-hearted Naruto. Then again, the decision never was all that difficult.

* * *

Kakashi looked on, completely distressed. Even when chaos ruled… Even within a tent… The situation just wasn't right for so much paperwork to pile up! He understood his sensei's anguished screams. He understood Sarutobi and Tsunade's looks of abject fear. He sympathized with Jiraiya turning down the exulted position.

He pitied Naruto and all future Hokage.

Shizune pushed him further into the tent and immediately started going over the most important documents. While missions were important and had to be approved and sorted, the village needed to be rebuilt. Because the village needed to be rebuilt, contractors needed to be approved, hired, and paid. The treasury had enough money to continue paying shinobi, supply the village with food and water for about two months, and rebuild about a sixteenth of Konoha.

After he finished with contractors and merchants, Shizune forced him to move onto missions. Thankfully, she kept a tight ship. Knowing approvals had to be made rapidly; she set chunin and jonin she trusted to finding competent and trustworthy contractors for repair. The same chunin and jonin already had missions sorted by rank and best recommendations.

Though it was nightfall before he finished, he was thankful he didn't have to make all the decisions. If they were left to him, he was sure an impatient clan council would be waiting for weeks. The Council of Shadows, after all, was mandatory, and only the Hokage could approve foreigners' travel into Konoha and final mission details. He was only the interim, but he was expected to act with the full authority and duties of the office.

He was about to leave when the tent flap opened to reveal Shizune, fresh paperwork hugged to her chest, and Kanaeru. The latter was a surprise, and she looked somewhat disheveled. Knowing it was best not to mess with an already upset woman, he settled back down to listen to whatever request was being made of the interim Hokage.

"I'm taking Naruto out of Konoha." Kanaeru started without preamble, and she wasn't surprised when Kakashi dragged a palm against his face with a 'why me' expression. "He needs to understand why he was left alone in Konoha and sort out his feelings. If he doesn't get this, he won't be ready for that thing Tsunade wants him attending in three months."

He slowly blinked in thought. Shizune watched nervously, only because she didn't trust the implications of either decision. When he finally spoke, he indicated the folders Tsunade's assistant held. "I take it you prepared more paperwork for me for a reason." It was a statement more than a question. As Kanaeru nodded in acquiescence, Shizune set the folders on the temporary desk.

He opened the first folder, and his eye went wide. Closing it, he went onto the next. He continued scanning through the folders quickly until he came to the end. "You won't object to any decision I make concerning the team assignment?" She shook her head in approval. "I want Shikamaru and Sakura accompanying Naruto and Hinata." He turned to Shizune. "Place those four on active duty as being on extended, multi-mission assignment."

Kanaeru smirked. "You won't regret this." She didn't think the proposal would be hard to pass. It wasn't unusual to request a four-man cell for the types of missions she had lined up, and she really wanted to spend more time with her nephew. Requesting Hinata had the double bonus of a diplomat and somebody to tease endlessly.

The first mission was rather easy and more of a courtesy. The four-man cell assigned to complete the missions outlined were to escort a dignitary and her entourage to a predetermined destination. The destination would then become a headquarters of sorts to prepare for and deploy out to the rest of the missions.

He was about to respond when he heard a disturbance not far from the interim Hokage's tent. His jaw went slack and visible eye wide. He stood and practically ran out of the tent, almost pushing an ill prepared Shizune to the ground in his rush. His shoulders slumped and arms hung at the sight. In the middle of a fresh crater, he spied two giants among men.

The two men wore Iwa hitai-ate and dressed in little more than a loose vest and black trousers each. While both wore black trousers, one wore a red vest, and the other wore blue. They were identical otherwise. Their muscular build restricted their movement, but they were boisterous and scarily capable.

They were also surrounded by suspicious and wary ANBU. No less than six squads surrounded the loud brothers. Kakashi wasn't near enough to hear them, but he knew he had to approach and clear up…whatever was happening. He shot a glance to Kanaeru, but he was surprised when Shizune handed him a folder. With a questioning gaze, he opened the folder.

His head fell when he read the contents. The Iwafutae clan was famous for their ability to create strong, intricate stone structures. They were also famous for their eccentric behavior and lack of originality outside their craft. In fact, the brothers causing a ruckus in the middle of the village were named simply Ichi and Ni. The red one was Ichi, and the blue one was Ni.

"Hey onii-san, I don not think the little people trust us." Ni called to his older brother.

"Hey otouto-san, it is rude to call little people by little people." Ichi chided his little brother.

"What should we call them then, onii-san?"

"Hmm? They are in masks, so maybe ANBU, otouto-san."

"That is an excellent idea, onii-san. Hey ANBU, I am sorry for calling you little people, despite the fact that you are much smaller than we Iwafutae." Ni paused to a moment to watch their reactions. "I do not think that worked, onii-san. They still seem to mistrust us!"

"You are a fool, otouto-san. You still called them little people, so they are most insulted." Ichi whapped his younger brother over the head. "Leave the thinking to me, otouto, because I thought of a wonderful idea." He pointed to the remains of the Hokage Monument. "That is an important landmark, you see, and we should repair it!"

Ni's eyes went wide, and he clapped his hands excitedly. "Oh, what a wonderful idea that is, onii-san! We should repair it as good as new and show the ANBU just how trustworthy we are! Shall we get started, then? Such a monumental task…" He chuckled. "…requires much time and concentration."

Ichi chuckled as well. "Oh why certainly yes otouto-san, we must make the ANBU appreciate how helpful we are! It is unbecoming of an Iwafutae to let such beauty to be defaced!" He chuckled. As he opened his mouth to speak, he noticed something. "Oh no, we must protect the Iwafutae from the copying eye of Konoha's Kakashi!"

"Yes! We cannot let Kakashi copy our highly prized jutsu!" Both spoke in unison, actually scaring several of the present ANBU. "Iwafutae clan jutsu are only for Iwafutae! It is shameful, oh so shameful, to allow the eyes of the copycat to lie upon them! Even though Tsuchikage-sama and Earth-sama ordered us to help in anyway we can, we cannot allow even an A-rank mission to steal our Iwafutae clan jutsu!"

Kakashi blinked lazily and rubbed his ears, which were ringing annoyingly. With a sigh, he knew he had to correct them, or things would never get done while he was around. "Even if I _wanted_ to copy your jutsu, I can't copy kekkei genkai." He cringed when they let out a loud 'oh' and continued. "Anyway, I'm acting as Hokage for now, so I need to see how trustworthy you are before I leave to meet with the other Kage."

"That is excellent news to hear!" The brothers shouted in unison. "The copycat cannot see through our Iwafutae clan jutsu, so we are free to use them to our leisure! Then watch, Kakashi, as we revive the lost Hokage Monument!" They turned to face the crumbling monument and sat harshly against the ground. They rapidly progressed through hand seals before pushing their hands together, fingers intertwined, to point at the ruined monument.

Kakashi shot a pointed glare to Kanaeru before returning a lazy glare to the former Hokage Monument. He was not surprised to see rocks from the cliff side rise into the air. It was common among Doton techniques. However, the brothers Iwafutae lifted boulders and rocks heavier than most Doton users could and higher than normal chakra reserves would allow.

The weight and height they could handle didn't speak to the Iwafutae clan abilities. In midair, the smallest pebbles to the largest boulders folded and molded into their original shapes. They moved like liquid and merged. As the brothers sweated, rough faces appeared and joined the cliff face. They dropped their technique and fell to all fours, panting and sweating heavily.

Kakashi nodded. He knew they were skilled, and he knew they could complete the task. What they accomplished in a few minutes would have taken over a year to complete with regular Doton users and skilled contractors. They weren't done yet, however. The faces were too blocky, and the eccentric Iwafutae could never leave a job halfway.

He turned and started to walk away. "I want two ANBU squads escorting them, from the shadows of course. Do not interfere with their work or interactions unless you feel you have to. I'm sure you understand their importance to rebuilding Konoha as quickly as possible. Assign them to groups working on the walls, gates, and, of course, monument." He nodded, satisfied. Even with the brothers Iwafutae skills, those three alone would take months, and they were _vital_ to security and morale.

He only wished he didn't have to put up with Iwafutae eccentricities. Shortening work on those sectors from years to months was well worth a little headache, though. As interim Hokage, he had to make the tough decision. Oh, how he knew he'd suffer for his leadership role. _"Tsunade, please recover soon…"

* * *

_

Danzou stared venomously at the door to his jail cell. He was sitting on a stone bed in the most secure place in Konoha. The underground ANBU headquarters was the only place structurally spared from Pein Rikudou's rampage. The walls were made from chakra absorbing materials and laden with chakra suppressing seals. Even so, his wrists and ankles were wrapped with chakra disrupting seal tags. He didn't even have running water to potentially mar the seals.

He hated to admit it, but he was completely powerless. He was sure cameras were watching his every move and for any potential visitors. His ROOT agents didn't know where he was, so they couldn't use time/space techniques to get to him. They also had no idea where he was being watched from, so any escape attempt would be futile. He was also sure his best and brightest ROOT agents were already under lock and key.

A smirk came to his face when he saw swirling orange and black. His head slowly rose to meet his master. "Ah, it's been a while since I last saw you." His mouth clenched when he attempted to properly great his master. Of course, there was a seal etched onto his body to prevent him from ever speaking of his master. Still, he knew him when he saw him. The swirling mask couldn't hide his distinctive chakra. There were other important factors, of course.

Only one man knew Konoha well enough to remove any and all obstacles. He likely took out the people monitoring the cameras. He also helped _build_ ANBU headquarters when Konoha was founded, so he knew the most secure cells and how to bypass security. The immortal Uchiha Madara was the only entity capable of freeing Danzou from his untimely incarceration.

"Really, to imagine one of my war hawks was so useless…" The masked Uchiha's words practically spat venom. "I had high hopes for you, so I gave you ROOT and all the secrets of Konoha. Now, you're rotting away in the highest security jail cell Konoha has to offer because you got sloppy. I guess your personal training regiment isn't as full proof as you thought."

Danzou took the criticism patiently. His master was the only one who he allowed to speak to him in such a manner. He nodded in acquiescence. "I admit; I did not see this turn of events. My ROOT agents cannot speak of me much the same as I cannot speak of you. Unfortunately, I spoke rashly when the little Hyuuga girl spoke against me in council chambers, and ANBU had wisely chosen to wait and listen."

Madara shook his head. "You should have used that gift I gave you. I didn't help you obtain Shisui's jutsu just to see you fail so miserably. You should have been able to make the ANBU think as you wanted. You should have been able to force even those who know what you were doing to think what you wanted them to."

He tilted his head to one side arrogantly. "Then again, I suppose that would be hard for you. Your body was incompatible with Uchiha chakra pathways. You could only use Shisui's jutsu to half its extent." He slowly, purposely drew a left-handed katana. "That's why I used Fuuin to slow Shisui's eye and arm's aging. I'm sure my next war hawk will use this gift far more accurately than you."

Danzou's eye went wide, and he backed away as best he could on his stone slab of a bed. "Wa-Wait! What are you doing?!" His back straightened against the wall of the jail cell. He felt weaker than normal as his body came in direct contact with the wall's material. "I've always been loyal! You're breaking your word!"

"Oh?" Madara cooed. "I do believe you've gotten it backwards. _I_ do not serve _you_. Oh, quite the opposite." He drew closer and prepared the katana to strike. "Ironic, isn't it? You're going to be killed by your own katana after failing your master." His visible eye seemed to glow menacingly. "Any last words, war hawk of Konoha?"

"I-I can't even speak your name!" Danzou practically whimpered. "I can't describe you, so there's no way to link me to you! I-I can still serve you!" He tried to raise his hands defensively, but they felt heavy for some reason. In a flash, his life ended as his head separated from his body. His mouth hung agape in a silent scream as his body fell limp.

Madara wiped the blade clean and dropped it. He left no trace on the weapon, so he had no problem with ANBU finding it. He watched blood pool under the body with a morbid fascination. "No, you can't _verbally_ identify me. I thought you were supposed to be intelligent. I'm sure you could have found a way to make your master known if you put your mind to it."

He turned slightly to look over his shoulder. He could hear approaching voices and footfalls. "Oh, it seems it's time for me to leave. "I'll let ANBU dispose of your useless carcass…after I collect what is mine." He made a single hand seal, and parts hidden by bandages on Danzou's body glowed. In a swirl of orange and black, Madara disappeared from Konoha.

A few moments later, the jail cell door opened to reveal Ibiki. His back was turned for the moment as he addressed the ANBU escorting him. "You know what to do. Bring me those tools I want, and keep _that_ person on standby." He turned around, and his eyes immediately went wide. He turned back to his ANBU escort. "Get me Inoichi and Shizune! We need to recover what we can while we have the opportunity!"

He actually growled. His job was interrogation, and his latest subject was murdered before he got to him. "Find out how something like this happened! Review the security tapes and bring me whoever slacked off!" The ANBU bowed respectfully before wavering and disappearing to carry out their assigned tasks. It was never a good idea to cross an incensed Ibiki.

He rubbed his neck as he looked at the mess. "Well, it might be easier to find out the truth like this. If Inoichi gets here soon enough, he can review the traitor's memory. Shizune can access his muscle memory later." Noticing something, he knelt beside the body. "His right arm's missing…" He looked suspiciously at the head a short distance away. "Well, I don't know if his right eye socket was empty or not…"

He decided to investigate the scene until ANBU returned with Inoichi and Shizune. He figured he might be able to figure something out. Though not a specialty, he had a keen eye and detail-oriented mind. He didn't miss that the weapon left on the scene was Danzou's own katana. He just didn't know how or understand the significance.

* * *

"What do you think of Danzou, anyway?" Anko asked, seemingly innocently. She had orders to keep her eye on Sai, but the orders seemed more urgent with suspicions of treason surrounding him. She was curious if the ROOT agent she was assigned to work with was just as guilty.

For his part, Yamato was mostly curious. Like Anko, he had experience with Orochimaru and no tolerance for traitors. However, he had worked with Sai for a while. He seemed like a kid who just needed a second chance. However, loyalties were still hard to place. ANBU reports seemed to indicate that he approached Danzou's place regularly, and he was still visited by ROOT agents.

Sai looked at her for a moment before glancing at the ground. "I'm sorry; I can't speak on the matter." His breath escaped him as a fist slammed into his gut. He knew it wasn't as hard as Anko could hit, but she held him aloft by the thin collar of his shirt. "I-I really can't." He stuck out his tongue to reveal a forbidden Fuuin.

She released him, only partly satisfied. "Can you at least _write_ about him?"

Sai was about to answer, but Anko and Yamato suddenly fell to their knees. Their eyes rolled back and eyelids closed as they lost consciousness. "Yes, I'm interested to know too." A masked man was dangerously close. His robes gave him away as Akatsuki…

* * *

Please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and my forum is open.

I present the new, completely, one-hundred percent original arc! Can you tell who my new, least favorite characters are? Can you guess why?

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,098  
Story Page Count: 16.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

none


	34. Chapter 31: Testament

TimeShifter: The scene was indeed inspired by the Mizu guy, but with more deductive reasoning. As for my new least favorite characters, I was referring to my new Iwa original characters. The specific foreshadowing I was referring to was Hinata feeling something in the back of her mind. I actually wanted her to put two and two together and leave a trail of deduction. The other things you mentioned are part of my MO, foreshadowing events in the near or distant future, sometimes incessantly. As for evil Sasuke, he makes for a fun plot device. Also note in avoiding the super-weapon, I'm possibly avoiding turning Madara into a well intentioned extremist.

Zzz: I seriously urge you to continue reading and leaving reviews. As my response to your criticisms was too long, you can find it in my forum.

marc: Thanks, I hope you continue to enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 31:  
Testament  
**

Sai backed away from the masked Akatsuki. He wasn't ready to face such a powerful opponent on his own, and his team was knocked out before they could even respond. He knew how strong Yamato was from experience, and he was familiar with Anko from reports. If the masked man snuck up on them as easily as he did, he knew he stood little chance.

"Hey, I'm talking to you brat." Madara tilted his head to one side. He watched with a mildly amused gleam as the ink ninja took on a defensive stance. "Though you can't _talk_ about Danzou, could you write about him? Could you do anything to reveal his plans? His intentions?"

"I don't know." Sai knew he had to buy time, so he figured he might as well talk about something pointless. "There were times I wanted to tell Yamato-taichou about everything I knew, but the Fuuin paralyzed me." His hand twitched as he instinctively wanted to reach for his special scroll and ink. However, his opponent had no openings. "I only tried writing once, but I can't recall the results."

"Oh…" Madara cooed in interest. He was already more impressed with Danzou's favorite pupil than the man himself. Though he was once considered among the most powerful shinobi in the world, he valued intellect. He had survived on intellect, and his Senju rival had defeated him with intellect.

In his momentary musings, Sai thought he saw an opening. He quickly withdrew his scroll and brush from their hiding spots. Before he could blink, both were removed from his possession. His eyes widened and turned to the masked member of Akatsuki. A sickening feeling was growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Ah, you possess an interesting jutsu indeed." Madara studied the chakra enhanced ink still on the tip of the brush with his Sharingan eye. "I see why Danzou valued you so highly. You make an excellent spy with such a jutsu, and its weaknesses force you to fine tune your mind to its peak." He turned an interested gaze to his newest prize. He needed his war hawk to be as willing as possible, so he needed to dissect the young man's personality.

"You're pragmatic, so nobody really understands you." He only needed to see the young man flinch to know his answer. It was so miniscule that most would have missed it. His Sharingan easily picked up such nuances. "Danzou wanted to change Konoha. He wanted Konoha to be powerful. You know he would never have allowed Konoha to be invaded by Oto and Suna. He would also have ensured Konoha's readiness against Pein Rikudou."

Inwardly, Sai knew he couldn't refute the masked Akatsuki member's claims. Danzou always believed in vigilance. He was outraged at the ease of which Oto and Suna invaded. He also constantly preached about the inevitability of invasion by hostile forces. In the ninja world, allies were a luxury none could afford. They were surrounded by duplicity, and backstabbing could only be prevented with an overwhelming show of power…and eyes in the back of one's head.

He also knew Pein Rikudou was as much a member of Akatsuki as the masked man before him. His eyes turned hard, and his disposition grew cold as steel. He wasn't willing to give _any_ Akatsuki member an inch. He didn't realize the price of his defiant gaze.

Madara liked the look. He wasn't going to just back down and give up. No, Danzou's greatest pupil was going to be his willing puppet. He just needed to be persuaded. Unhurriedly, he removed his mask and stared Sai in the eyes. The ink user was instantly under his spell. He was unprepared to meet the Sharingan. He stared deeply and felt as if his very soul had been invaded.

He fell to his knees as the elder Uchiha replaced his mask. With the same unhurried pace, he placed Sai's scroll and brush on the ground. He moved with an air of arrogance as he approached the young man. He slowly moved through hand seals and placed his open palm against the young man's face to perform the technique. After a second of intense pain, Sai crumpled to the ground.

As the last of his muscle spasms wore off, Madara extracted an eye and arm from the extra dimensional space his Sharingan stored things. With nobody to see, he nervously looked around. His body almost seemed to shudder in relief as he approached his newest war hawk. "As with Danzou, you cannot speak of your new master, the great Uchiha Madara, without permission."

He placed the eye near Sai's head and arm at his torso's side. With a tilt of his head, he inspected the unconscious fruit of Danzou's labor. It was simple enough to implant the foreign appendage and organ with his vast library of techniques. He was no medic nin, but a hundred years of experience trumped anything a field medic learned in a decade of dedicated study.

There was, of course, one seemingly significant problem. Shisui's arm was too long, too lanky for the still growing teen. The eye was slightly the wrong tint, but any medic would notice it. It was possible anybody close to Sai would notice it. Under his mask, Madara smirked. Over his hundred or so years of life, he had experienced and learned many wonderful techniques.

Danzou was an imperfect specimen. Though Shisui's eye and arm replaced Danzou's damaged limbs, the damage seemed to linger in his mind. His biology was also incompatible with the Uchiha chakra pathways. At best, he would rate his last war hawk of Konoha as a lab rat.

His new war hawk of Konoha gained the benefit of Madara's experience. He had studied and learned new techniques for the exclusive purpose of better penetrating the various villages. In Konoha's case, he was unwilling to lose the valuable resource in Shisui's eye and chakra. Never fully trusting Danzou, he had stopped the organ and appendage's aging.

With Sai unconscious, Madara slowly, purposely shifted through hand seals. He watched his chakra flare up around him. He watched his chakra snake out and link to the teen, eye, and arm. As his Sharingan rotated, he felt and saw the chakra pathways link. He watched as Shisui's chakra pathways merged with Sai's.

The complex and arduous technique effectively replaced a perfectly good organ and appendage. With his first task complete, he knelt beside the teen to inspect his work. His Sharingan revealed no flaws, but it would take time to fully integrate the new chakra network. He also knew he had to relieve as much suspicion as possible.

With a shrug, Madara decided to finalize the creation of his latest war hawk. He looked to the teen's abdomen. The Fuuin always agitated the skin it rested atop, so he had no doubt why the midriff was left exposed. As he shifted through hand seals, he saw the war hawk Fuuin glow and express itself.

It was a painful technique to be sure. Sai twisted and grunted as the sheer pain wracked his body. His chakra pathways felt like they were on fire, and his center pulsed as if it were being torn down and rebuilt several times over. He inhaled deeply as his eyes opened wide. His back arched as his mind was flooded with images, words, and associations.

Before he passed out again, he looked up to see Madara approach and kneel beside him. He heard some speech, but his mind couldn't process anything. His head rolled, and he dully heard something snap. He grunted as his vision faded to black. Though he fell into unconsciousness, he could not escape the strange techniques' effects.

* * *

Kanaeru stood next to Kakashi and admired the stone faces of the cliff side monument. Though incomplete, Ichi and Ni had successfully proven their worth. Of course, she had no doubt they would. She just wished their personalities were better. With a sigh and roll of her eyes, she lightly punched her companion's shoulder. "I never imagined you accepting such a heavy roll."

With a light chuckle, he mockingly rubbed his shoulder and shrugged. "They made an offer I couldn't refuse." He looked to the rising moon and slowly appearing stars. He didn't need to see her expression to know her reaction. She wasn't trying to hide her emotions. "When I was first approached, I tried to outright refuse. I said there had to be somebody better suited, but apparently this was one responsibility I couldn't escape."

She shook her head. "It doesn't sound like you to just give up. Even when you bullheadedly followed every rule and did things by the book, you hated the idea of failure. You couldn't be convinced; even my greatest charms…" She seductively arched her back and stretched an arm suggestively. "…couldn't deter you once your mind was set."

He coughed into a fist. "You always enjoyed setting a man on edge." He smiled lightly remembering days long past. "We were all different back them. I was a lot more rigid and didn't let anybody close." He eyed her pointedly. "You were more open and trusted more easily." He shook his head before returning his gaze to the moon.

She shrugged. "Except Minato-kun…" They shared a chuckled at that old memory. With a sigh, they both returned to the conversation. "…but you didn't answer my question." She waved her hand when he looked at her questioningly. "You know what I meant! Why'd you accept the position as interim Hokage?"

He smiled and closed his eyes. He knew what she was getting at from the beginning, but it was nice to play games with somebody who only really knew his harsh side before. "The kids need time to grow before they spread their wings to carry Konoha." She punched him, harder than earlier. "What was that for?"

She smiled and swept some hair behind her ear. "You say some nice stuff from time to time, Kakashi-kun." He shook his head in mock exasperation. "I think that's why Naruto-kun respects you." She paused and crossed her arms under her bust. "You hide it under a lazy, perverted exterior, but you're kind and intelligent. You're gentle in your own way, and you _hate_ when those precious to you are hurt."

He nodded in agreement and was about to speak when he felt a weight partially fall against him. He looked to his side to see her leaning her shoulder and head against his arm. "You know I'm sorry about Rin, right? It's something we Uzumaki can never apologize enough for… I was always a little jealous of her, but I never wanted… I never wanted…"

He lifted his arm and let her fall against his side. He rested a hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. It was rare to see her soft, girly side. Even so, he knew better to think that she was vulnerable. Still, she was sincere in her apology. "There was nothing anybody could have done." He smiled sadly. "She died doing what she loved, saving a life."

He sighed. "Maybe I just felt it was time to face up to my responsibility." She eyed him warily at that thought. "I never really owned up when Obito died, and I ran away when Rin died. I was already ANBU, but I dove into work even more. I took on any mission. The more dangerous…" He took a deep breath "…the better. I ran, and I kept running." He chuckled lightheartedly. "I think my cute genin saved me from my self-destructive spiral."

She shook her head. "You think you're ready for it? The responsibility, I mean." She felt more than saw him nod. "It's a lot of weight they've put on your shoulders. They might even expect you to take on the seat full time as the Sixth. Doesn't it scare you? Stronger men than you have died defending that responsibility."

Silence reigned for several, awkward moments. After Pein Rikudou ripped through Konoha, death was really the last thing they wanted to think about. While most were revived when Nagato decided to leave a hefty weight of reasonability on Naruto's shoulders, some had not because they fell to a traitor's hands.

Kakashi finally spoke after making peace with his thoughts and inner turmoil. "I was ready to give my life for my cute genin, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I'm scared of what tou-san, Rin-chan, and Obito would say if I met them if I failed. I almost died of chakra exhaustion, and I thought I saw my life flash before my eyes." He gently pushed her away and looked into her eyes. "I hope Tsunade-sama recovers as I'm not all too sure I'm ready for this heavy burden."

To Kanaeru, it was a sobering thought. She was used to the heavy burden of responsibility. The work of a sumitsuki was something only the Uzumaki clan really understood. While she was used to moving and motivating men and women to action, he was being given the responsibility as something fresh and new. She really had to respect the exalted position of Hokage.

"I've already experienced more than enough." He settled into a lazier posture. "I don't really see how sensei did anything like this on a daily basis." He sighed. "Really, I can understand how it weighed on his heart. He had to make the tough decision to send people he knew and worked with out into life or death missions." He eyed her harshly. "He may be your family, but you know I'm entrusting some very valuable _friends_ to you."

She smiled. Though he was a fierce opponent, he was a fiercer friend. She also noted how his 'cute genin' evolved into valuable and trusted friends. It was no wonder her nephew looked up to him. "Hey, I'm paying _you_ to borrow my nephew for a little while. Can't you at least pretend to be a little more grateful?"

She mockingly rolled her eyes when he shook his head. "Oh, fine then." She stood at attention, and then she drew a spiral over her heart. "On the honor of the Uzumaki clan, I vow I will allow nothing to happen." She chuckled cheerily. "Besides, I like 'em too much."

He nodded in acknowledgement. He knew he could trust her, but he wanted her to understand how valuable and precious they were to him and the village. "It's getting late, and you've got a long day ahead of you." He shook his head when she looked down nervously. "You know you've got to talk to him before you leave." He turned and started walking away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She watched as he disappeared with a flicker. "I know that already… I just wish he'd actually talk to me…" With a heavy sigh, she turned to see moonlight reflected and a hovering, blue globe. "You didn't exactly do a good job hiding, Gayt. I can see you, Star."

As they stepped out from the shadows, she noted their demeanor. While Gayt was as hard to read as always, Star seemed sheepish. She shook her head. "What are you guys spying on, anyway? I can take care of myself, and Kakashi isn't a threat."

Gayt turned his head in the direction he disappeared in. "Do you still feel affection for him?" He watched as she averted her gaze, a small smile on her lips. He really didn't need to hear her answer. "Come on Star, you want to feed on the mana around the partially restored monument."

Kanaeru watched them leave. "I don't need to hear that from you…" She sighed. "Why'd you have to make it look so easy, nee? I just can't understand that man's heart." With a shrug, she turned towards the medical tents. She stretched and decided to walk in that direction. Even if her nephew wasn't going to talk to her, she could still watch over him.

As she slowly made her way through the broken streets, she thought of what Konoha just went through. Nagato's Pein Rikudou were absurdly powerful. Their abilities were difficult at best to counter, and Nagato actually managed to combine all six in his own body. The damage to the village was immense, and the people were still recovering.

The medical staff was competent enough to work without the proper facilities. They were also in high demand, and their patients were often forced back to work before they were fully cleared. ANBU captains were especially susceptible. Hawk was even given the responsibility of bringing Danzou into ANBU headquarters shortly after her tendons were repaired.

She supposed it made sense. ANBU were made of tougher stuff than the average shinobi. They were given the most dangerous missions. Some only had the skills and experience of chunin, but they had the qualities necessary. As she thought about it, she wondered if she should be more impressed that certain others were released so quickly.

Kakashi was back on his feet, but he was obviously worn out. Under normal circumstances, he would probably have been in the hospital for an extra few days, if only for observation. Hinata looked a lot worse for wear because she was so cut up and bruised. Internally, she was fine, if a little shaken.

Konoha was really rushing through things. The strangest circumstance, however, was Naruto. Though his injuries were mostly healed and chakra stores restored, the medics decided to keep him for observation because of _how much_ chakra he ran through. "Yeah, that is kinda strange…"

She was talking to nobody in particular, and her thoughts continued down the path she started. They should have been more than used to how much chakra he could run through. He was known to go overboard defending whatever or whoever he held precious, and Nagato had appeared to kill Hinata, an irreplaceable presence in his life. They should have expected how overboard he went as a _minimum_.

Were they still trying to cover up his status as jinchuuriki of Kyuubi no Kitsune? Even if almost nobody saw him lose control, it didn't take a genius to see just why he was special. "No…" She scoffed. "It's no small wonder they couldn't see what was plain in front of their faces. I shouldn't be surprised nobody can see another obvious truth."

She kicked a loose pebble as she neared the tent her nephew was resting in. She looked at it for a long moment before plopping on the ground in front of a tree. She leaned against it and looked to the clear skies above. The night air was surprisingly calm after the chaos that ended some days ago. Had it really been that long? It felt like just hours ago…

As she stared at the tent, the torrent of thoughts died to a single question. When would her nephew talk to her again? As the question repeated continuously through her head, she slowly drifted to sleep. Soon, she was lulled to sleep by the cool night air and harmonious sounds of nature in the backdrop.

* * *

Hinata's head jerked to one side when she heard a knock at her door. She was sitting in front of her vanity applying healing balm to her bruised face. Though the cuts and scrapes were mostly healed, some swelling was still evident. She wasn't normally one to fret, but she felt Naruto would worry over her injuries. She fought for him, and he might think everything was his fault.

"Ah, come in…" She twisted the lid back on the balm container and turned to face her door. She didn't know what anybody wanted so late in the evening, but she was obligated to play the role of head while her father was away. Nonetheless, she was surprised to see Tsubaki enter, without her ANBU Hawk captain attire. "Tsubaki-chan, what's wrong?"

Tsubaki silently closed the door and stood at attention. "Hinata-sama, forgive this servant's impudence, but may I speak openly with you?" She resisted looking the heiress in the eyes and breaking servant/master decorum. She was merely branch, and she was so dishonorable as to need to wear a chakra seal to prevent bleeding precious life energy.

Hinata tilted her head to one side with a gentle smile. "Of course Tsubaki-chan, I would _never_ deny you that request." She indicated her bed with a sweep of her hand. "I'm sorry I don't have another chair, but I'm sure my bed would be a comfortable place to sit. Please, what do you have to say?"

Tsubaki nervously looked to the offered seat. Her legs were still bothering her. Even with the tendons repaired, she felt ghost pain. The medics explained she would feel it for a while, but she felt it was out of place to take such an offer. "I'm sorry, Hinata-sama; it would be inappropriate of me. If you would prefer, you can take your bed, so I can use the chair you're in."

Hinata frowned but gave in. She knew how stringent the older woman could be. Instead of trying to bend her will, she stood and gracefully walked to her bed. As she sat, she indicated her vacated seat. When the scarred Hyuuga sat, the heiress calmly restated her permission to speak. "Please Tsubaki-chan, what do you have to say?"

"Officially, I must thank you for speeding ANBU's investigation. We have no idea how long it would have taken if we had to break his will torturing him first." Tsubaki paused to take in the heiress' pout. "Unofficially, I wanted to see you again… It's been a long time, Hinata-sama."

Hinata nodded. "Since before I entered the academy, I believe." She eyed her warily. "You used to watch me when tou-san was out of the village. What happened to you? I heard you were going on a mission to Silver, and then…nothing. Shortly after…" She paused at the bitter memory. Though it scarred her to be disowned and handed to Kurenai, she still loved her father.

Tsubaki looked away to hide the malice flash across her expression. "Hiashi-sama told me as soon as I returned to the village. He then told me the elders had decided to banish me from the clan because my Byakugan was…" She paused to search for the right word. "…disfigured." She looked to the heiress fondly. "I joined ANBU, and he asked me to personally watch over you."

Hinata nodded. She hadn't heard anything after the mission to Silver. She was sure she would learn something. "I'm sorry, Tsubaki-chan. I'll talk to tou-san, and…"

"No." Tsubaki shook her head kindly. "I dare not risk your delicate position. For now, leave it alone. Hiashi-sama will address it when the time is right." She stood and grimaced slightly at the pain in her legs. "I'll have to talk to you later. I also officially came to deliver a message from Kakashi-taichou. You have a mission brief first thing in the morning."

She turned to leave, but Hinata stopped her. "Tsubaki-chan!" As the ANBU captain turned to face the heiress, the younger woman blushed slightly as she smiled. "It's good to know you're alive! Promise you'll tell what's happened since we last met some other time."

Tsubaki nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that Hinata-sama." She smiled and walked out the heiress' room. Before she took too many steps down the hallway, she pulled out her mask and donned it. After a few more steps, she was surrounded by Hyuuga branch guards. She continued to walk confidently down the halls as she was escorted out. With her business done, she had no reason to remain. She was, after all, an outcast. Instinctively, her sealed and covered eye twitched in ancient pain.

* * *

Naruto snorted loudly in his sleep when sunshine splashed his face. He shook as consciousness reclaimed his senses. He looked around drowsily to see Shizune draw the tent curtain. He also saw Kanaeru standing apprehensively at the portal. He looked down, ashamed at his previous behavior. He didn't mean to ignore her, but the shock seemed to overwhelm his system.

"Hey kit, let's get going." Kanaeru started affectionately before Shizune could. She was walking towards him before he could question her. "We have a long day ahead of us, and Kakashi wants to see us to top things up!" She grabbed him by the arm and practically yanked him out of bed.

Naruto hopped as he was dragged along and sent a questioning look to Shizune. She shrugged and shook her head. He groaned and pouted as he was extracted from the tent. When Kanaeru suddenly stopped, he spun around from the continued momentum only to see Hinata right in his path. Trying to force his legs to stop moving, he tripped over his own feet.

"Pfft…" He heard his aunt start as he lost his equilibrium and fell into a startled, shy girl. When he landed, he blushed heavily as she peeled into laughter. His wide, blue eyes looked into wide, lavender eyes. Both their faces were red from sudden embarrassment. They could practically _feel_ Kanaeru acting the part of the tormenter as she laughed. Though neither could see it, she pointed one finger at them as she wiped a tear away with another.

Their lips were locked in an unintentional kiss. "You're getting started a little early; aren't you, lovebirds?" Kanaeru continued laughing as she watched Naruto quickly pulled away and apologized profusely to Hinata. She was starting to calm down as he offered a hand to help her up, which was graciously and nervously accepted.

Shaking the last of her merriment away, Kanaeru let out a satisfied breath. "Come on, lovebirds, we can't be late to meet Kakashi. I'm sure he has some _wonderful_ news for us!" She practically skipped away as she expected them to follow. Sheepishly, they did as they averted each other's gaze.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the tent established for Kakashi to carry out his duties as interim Hokage. Kanaeru had not completely let go of her mirth, and Naruto and Hinata were still embarrassed. Naruto rested his head against his tented hands behind his head while Hinata slumped her shoulders to cover as much of her reddened face with her jacket as she could.

As they walked in, Kakashi shot Kanaeru a questioning glance. She mimed a kiss by pressing her fore and middle fingers against her lips and winked. He tilted his head asking for more details. She signed that it was an accident. Well, it was mostly an accident. A coincidence combined rather nicely with gravity, and cause and effect took its natural course.

Kakashi cleared his throat to get everybody's attention. "It's nice to see you on time. The others I called are going to be a little late. They had a few duties to take care of. Anyway, I'm sure you're curious why I called you here, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait." He pointedly eyed Naruto and Hinata. "I'm sure there's something you can do in the meantime."

Without further explanation, he purposely dove right back into his paperwork. Inwardly, he loathed the paperwork. It helped to make him look cool and aloof, but he still didn't have to like it. Even as he skimmed through reports and prepared to sign off on orders, he paid attention to what was going on.

Kanaeru led her nephew and new play toy out of the tent. She set them up somewhere with a modicum of privacy and 'left' them to their conversation. She then set herself up to easily spy on the conversation. As good as they might have thought they were, she was by far more experienced and ready. She looked to her side as a companion joined her. "Come to join the fun, Kakashi-kun?"

He didn't respond as they settled down to watch.

Their backs were to each other. Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. Hinata pressed her index fingers against one another out of old habit. The awkward silence was finally broken by, surprisingly, Hinata. "I-I don't need an answer right away, Naruto-kun…" She wanted one. She so agonizingly wanted one.

"It was wrong of me to do something like that…" She knew in her heart he still loved his teammate, Sakura. He also had such a strong, beautiful woman as Shion chasing after him. Though, he supposedly already made a promise to her. "I-I just thought you should know… After all…" She didn't want to say it, but she expected to die facing Nagato's last Pein Rikudou.

"No, I…" Naruto started. "…I was really surprised." _That_ was the understatement of the year. "I was surprised and scared." He turned to wave his arms realizing his implication. "I was scared of losing you! I couldn't stand to lose one of my friends, and you _are_ a precious friend, Hinata-chan…"

Her chest rose and heart fluttered to hear her name called so affectionately. She still heard a 'but' in his statement, and he continued with little pause. "I just don't know what to feel. You know?" He watched her composure slip and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't do that to yourself. I just don't exactly know what to do or say."

He smiled kindly. "I like you, Hinata-chan. I really do. You're great! You're kind, strong, intelligent, but, most importantly, you're gentle." He shook his head. "I've chased after Sakura-chan so long… I've forgotten why. She just became a goal. You know?"

She knew. She desperately knew. She hated how well she knew. Her shoulders quivered as she fought to contain her emotions. Her eyes were tearing up, but she refused to cry. He _wasn't_ rejecting her! She told herself several times over. He needed to come to terms with whatever he was feeling. She couldn't and refused to rush him through his confusion.

"When I thought… When I thought Pein killed you, my rage boiled over. I wanted nothing more than to avenge your death…" He leaned his forehead against the back of her head, and her heart swelled once more. "I walked down a very dark path, Hinata-chan. I saw what Sasuke sought, and it _scared_ me."

Her breath caught in her throat, and she reached a comforting hand to rest on his. He smiled in appreciation of the gesture. "A lot of things happened, Hinata-chan." She was reassured as he constantly said her name with obvious affection. "I found out I had a family…" Her eyes widened. "…and Kyuubi no Kitsune knew my folks…"

Her hand tightened around his, and he caught the gesture's unspoken meaning. "Hey, I want to tell you, so no selling yourself short." She smiled in relief as he continued. "I've got a lot of stuff to think about, Hinata-chan, but I want to tell you this. I want to _prove_ you're important to me, Hinata-chan, and I need to confirm exactly what I'm feeling."

She felt like she could melt. He was opening up to her, confessing his deepest feelings. Again, _she_ was the one he turned to. _She_ was the one he trusted. Even after returning from training with Jiraiya, he always hid behind a mask. Even after three years, she could see right through him. Like before the chunin exams, he was confiding in _her_. He was letting _her_ into the darkest depths of his soul.

He felt her warmth and easily continued. "I know why the villagers hated me, resented me." He clasped her shoulder for a moment in reassurance. "I understand, and I thank you for always being kind to me. Really, the villagers wanted…needed somebody to blame for the deaths of so many. Maybe even more, they needed an object to hate for the fall of a hero."

He gently turned her to face the clearly visible, blocky faces of past leaders. Though greatly recovered, they still required fine tuning. "The Fourth sealed Kyuubi inside me, but I continued to look up to him even after I found out. Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin always told me how great he was, and I just couldn't hate him."

She looked at the blocky figure of arguably the greatest Hokage Konoha had ever seen. "Hinata-chan, he was my tou-san." He wasn't surprised by her reaction. She turned to face him, eyes wide in wonder. She turned to the monument again to take a closer look. She only knew what he looked like through pictures. "Heh, it is kinda hard to believe."

She shook her head vigorously. "That's not true, Naruto-kun!" She blushed and covered her mouth when she realized she'd yelled. She shook her head again as he hands fell to her side. "I just never saw very good pictures of him! The books in the academy were black-and-white, and they all showed him in robes of state!" She still only saw her words as excuses and berated herself internally for never seeing it.

He smiled gently and held both her shoulders. "People who knew him _personally_ never saw it. I could never blame my precious people for not seeing it. Well, except Kakashi-sensei, but I think he knew and kept it from me." He scrunched his face. "I can't really be mad at him, though. It's like blaming tou-san for doing what had to be done."

She smiled at the thought. He was always so compassionate and forgiving. "I-I'm glad you're still here, Naruto-kun." Though she was confident in him, she worried that Pein Rikudou would have been too much. The thought of losing him made her move like she never had before. She was ready to die if it meant saving him.

He smiled a wide, genuine smile for only her to see. "I'm not going anywhere, Hinata-chan! Who do you think I am?!" She giggled in anticipation of his famous, next line. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be Hokage!" He was truly glad to see her in better spirits than a moment ago. Tears didn't suit her.

His smile quickly became a mask as he had a serious question for her. "Hinata-chan, I also found out who my kaa-san was…" She nodded and looked at him seriously. He obviously had something he wanted her help with. "I have family…on her side. I… What am I supposed to feel? What should I say? I mean; I want to get to know them better. It's just… I'm so confused; I don't know what to do."

_"Oh, Naruto-kun…"_ He had such a difficult request. She wasn't sure, herself. She reconciled with her father and nephew, but she attributed successes there mostly to him. She was at a loss, but she wasn't exactly sure who he was talking about. Nobody in the village really looked like him… "Have you met your family?" He nodded. "Who?" She wanted to know as much about him as possible.

Before he could answer, Kanaeru called out to them. "Okay lovebirds, it's time to start the meeting. Get over here before I have to drag you over." With appropriate blushes, they were quickly by her side and walking into Kakashi's tent. Once they entered, she waved to Sakura and Shikamaru.

Kakashi handed a single folder to Shikamaru. As the lazy strategist thumbed through it, the interim Hokage started. "I called you four here for a series of missions. They are of vital importance to the village, so listen up. We're in desperate need of cash, and the client has been kind enough to provide you a temporary headquarters from which to deploy to each mission."

Shikamaru looked between the folder he held and Kanaeru. He sighed and rolled his eyes, but Kakashi simply continued as if nothing happened. "Your first mission is rather customary and more a courtesy from the client. You are to escort the client and entourage to the headquarters you will be using. After completing this B-rank mission, you are to begin a series of A-rank missions. Because the client is requesting you for an extended period of time, room and board is to be provided and additional fees paid upfront."

Naruto nodded. He'd been in three, four, and five man cells before. He was curious why Shikamaru was given the mission brief, but he didn't have any real reason to question it. "Okay Kakashi-sensei, who's the client?" He was eager to get started. He had to see what he could scavenge from his equipment from the previous battle and apartment, or at least what remained of it.

Kakashi indicated Kanaeru, but she was the one who spoke. "That would be me, kit!" She sounded exuberant. He looked at her confused. "I know a lot of people who need little odds and ends taken care of, and they're willing to pay handsomely for my personal recommendations. Since Konoha is in this state, I decided to recommend some fine shinobi from here."

Naruto was a little surprised, but he was also relieved. It was a simple task to escort Kanaeru, Gayt, and Star anywhere they wanted to go. He felt it was safe to escort them to the heart of Akatsuki territory. Knowing they weren't going anywhere near them, he knew he'd have plenty of time to catch up with his long-lost aunt. "Okay, then where we headed?"

She smiled conspiratorially and placed her fore finger to her lips. "That's a secret." She turned and walked to the exit. "Now, go pack your things and get ready. If you need any extra supplies, check the Hyuuga and Nara estates. They were among the least damaged and will be your teammates anyway. I'll see you at the northern gate at noon." She didn't give them a chance to respond as she sauntered out.

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome." He walked to the exit with his shoulders slouched. "I don't mind helping anybody out with equipment. I can't help with anything specialized, but I've always got a huge stockpile of the necessities." He left with a lazy wave over his shoulder.

Sakura walked up to Naruto and Hinata. "If I'm not there when everybody else arrives, tell Kanaeru that I got caught up with my medical responsibilities. Plus, I've got to get supplies from there if you expect me to be your medic nin for this mission." She turned and ran out. "Later!"

Before Naruto and Hinata could leave, Kakashi stopped them. "Naruto, don't think too much about it. Just follow your gut." He looked at his sensei questioningly. "Your family _didn't_ abandon you. Whatever you do, don't alienate them." He returned to his paperwork and left his student to his thoughts.

As they were walking down the streets, Hinata finally spoke up first. "Kakashi-sensei's right." When Naruto looked to her, she continued with a slight blush. "You shouldn't alienate your family. They're irreplaceable. Even when you're at odds, they are important cornerstones in your life."

He smiled. "Kanaeru." She looked at him questioningly. "She's my oba-san." His smile widened. "She's my family!" He felt a little excited. It was nice to actually say it. He had worried the past several days about what he was supposed to say and do, but he kept it all inside. With it out in the open and off his chest, he felt as if a weight was lifted.

* * *

Mizukura bowed deeply as Shion approached with Momiji. The young red-head was clinging to the daimyo priestess' robes. As she approached, he reported the situation. "Preparations to leave are almost complete. We've been promised shinobi for a B-rank escort mission as you asked, and they are paid for. We will be ready at the designated time, Shion-sama."

She looked over the brave men. Like many in Konoha, they had _died_ several days ago. Pein Rikudou attacked them, and she suspected he did so because they looked like allies of Konoha. They were indeed brave, and she felt a deep pain in her heart. Death was her greatest fear. Her visions didn't come as often as they once did, and she hadn't foreseen any of what transpired.

He noted her distant gaze. "Is something the matter, Shion-sama? Should I fetch some water? …food?" He wondered if there was anything she needed. "I can call your coach over if you need some shade or rest." He was honestly worried. He hoped nothing was wrong.

She shook her head. "No Mizukura-taichou. I'm fine." She paused. "I'm fine." She waved and turned Momiji around. "Carry on. I'll be back before we have to leave. I still have some things to take care of." He didn't object as she led her adoptive daughter back into Konoha. It was time for a long awaited reunion.

* * *

Sai woke with a gasp and shot into a seated position. He gulped in air and instinctively moved his arms to wipe sweat from his face. Only his right arm moved. With one eye covered, he warily looked to his other arm. It was cast in a sling, obviously broken. He heard dirt and gravel shuffle under footfalls and looked to see a medic approaching.

His eyes widened when he saw Anko and Yamato. They were injured and bandaged. Anko's torso was badly bandaged, and she breathed like ribs were broken and bruised. Her ear was gauzed, ankle wrapped, and leg in a cast. Yamato's head was wrapped, and he held it in pain. His arm was slung in a way that suggested a broken clavicle.

The medic stopped him from moving and pulled out a flashlight. He inspected both eyes for evidence of a concussion. He stopped over his left eye and shook his head. "Looks like he's got some head trauma, too. We need cover this eye and stitch the forehead wound." He was already picking out medical supplies to work on the listed injuries.

Sai wondered if it was all a dream. Was it some weird illusion he was subject to as they fought off the masked member of Akatsuki? Had they attempted to fight him and lost badly enough to simply be left to die? They were still within Fire, so chances were good neighboring citizens would find them. The medics weren't from Konoha, so he doubted they had chakra techniques to heal them.

A man approached Yamato. He looked like the leader, and it helped that the medics immediately paid him heed. He was also an older man. He was partially bald with thinning, salt and pepper hair. He walked with a slight limp indicating either a wound that never fully healed or artificial limb. He was slightly plump with a hump to his back. He wore a businessman yukata.

He easily took a conversational tone with the three man cell's leader. "You're near Kitaboueki; I'm the mayor. We have to transfer you there for medical treatment. We can send Konoha word as soon as we arrive. I'll need to know what to tell them, though. Can you tell me any mission details or who you faced?"

Yamato shook his head. "We're on a search mission, but that's all I can tell you." Kitaboueki's leader nodded. "Unfortunately, I don't remember who we fought." He held his head and looked to Anko. She shook her head. He looked to Sai and mistook his silence for an answer. "He might have used genjutsu or drugged us." He didn't like what his analysis meant. They _might_ have found their target and let him get away.

Sai sat wide eyed and stared at the ground. He _tried_ to answer the mission leader. He really did. He even tried something as seemingly insignificant as nodding his head. He felt paralysis grip him and snap his jaw shut and freeze his muscles. _"It really was Madara… I-I can't tell Yamato about it! What am I going to do?"_ He swallowed hard and ignored the pain as antiseptic was applied to his head wound.

"How many days will it take Konoha to receive you message?" Sai snapped his attention to Yamato as he asked the necessary questions.

"Eh, it'll take a few days." He rubbed his rough chin in thought. "We don't have any fast messenger birds like you ninja. They ain't specially trained, but they get the job done."

Yamato shook his head. "No, we appreciate it." He paused to consider how his next question might be taken. "Can I write the message? I need to relay something important."

The mayor narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, you Konoha ninja have helped us out a number of times. Still have to pay for ya, but I'm always guaranteed the best work. I don't mind providing this _expensive_ service for our necessary ninja."

Yamato felt a cold sweat. "We can provide a discount on our next mission for you…" He hoped his promise wouldn't come back to bite him, but he needed to remain diplomatic. He had no idea what had happened in Konoha just days before. He hadn't received a recall notice or anything.

"No, no, I could never accept that. Just the three of you, and whoever comes for ya, buy some stuff in our humble village. We live on trade, thrive on it really. Why without trade, we'd dry right up like desert dust." He barked some orders to the medics before returning his attention to Yamato, Anko, and Sai. "Now, our healers don't know how to use fancy chakra jutsu, so you're gonna hafta heal the hard, slow way."

He paused and scratched his chin. "There was one once. Real beaut she was, too. Tried to teach a few of her medical jutsu to some eager youths. I suppose people here just aren't cut out for it. None of 'em could learn it. Mighty difficult living without convenient jutsu, but we manage somehow. Can't remember the gal's name, but it was during the war. The front moved real close to here; ya see?"

The man rambled on and on the entire way into town. He eventually revealed his name was Chin Keita. He seemed harmless enough, but he liked to tell stories. He relived old memories and repeated them aloud. He felt deeply indebted to ninja, but he was a business man through and through. He wanted to turn a profit and refused to short-change anybody he dealt with.

Yamato knew it was going to be a painful few days as they waited for the messenger bird to arrive in Konoha. Once they received the message, decoding wouldn't take long. They were maybe four or five hours away at a comfortable speed. The longest wait was for the non-ninja trained messenger bird. He only hoped Anko didn't lose patience with the old man's stories before then. She already threatened snakes.

* * *

Naruto and Hinata were the first to arrive. They parted ways shortly after their conversation on family and agreed to meet at the Hyuuga main entrance an hour later. They both knew little to nothing was left of Naruto's apartment, and by extension equipment. He felt it was worth checking, and she was willing to share necessary gear. The mission was important, after all.

Naruto scavenged and scraped through what remained of his apartment. He was surprised when civilians and shinobi who lived nearby dropped what they were doing and decided to help out. He was grateful, but, in the end, he found few items that would be useful for the extended assignment.

He was outside the Hyuuga estates much earlier than anticipated. He patiently waited, knowing he wasn't expected. He was again surprised when he was graciously escorted in by two talkative branch members. Hinata helped him select gear and finish packing, and they quickly left.

The ruined streets were quickly filling with people, and Naruto noted the strangest occurrences. He wasn't jeered or ridiculed by silent stares or callous words. He was greeted by nods and welcomed with warm words. It was a change he wanted, but he was completely expecting it. He knew they recognized him for defeating Nagato, but he worried they'd blame him for the attack in the first place.

Nagato was, after all, hunting the bijuu he contained.

It was surreal, and he was still absorbing it when Kanaeru arrived with Gayt and Star. Shikamaru was shortly behind them, but he was still punctual. Sakura was late, and Naruto explained why just as she had asked. When she did arrive, he waved for her to hurry up, but he felt a presence approaching from behind.

He blinked and turned to see Shion being shadowed by a little, red-haired girl…

* * *

Please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and my forum is open. It also seems my updates are starting to fall onto Wednesdays... I'm going to try to keep up a Monday release schedule, but expect the chapter to be up by Wednesday if it is late. I've been so busy recently that I can't promise an omake even when I know I'll be late.

To relieve any concerns, I am _not_ making a Kakashi/OC pairing. Enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,096  
Story Page Count: 16.5

**Terms and Jutsu:**

oba-san - aunt: Finally realized, eh?


	35. Chapter 32: A Miko Makes Life Hard

Sadly, there were no reviews to comment on.

* * *

**Chapter 32:  
A Miko Makes Life Hard  
**

"Uwaa!" Ichi exclaimed as he woke and stretched. "It is a good day! We worked and drank until late last night, and nobody is rushing to wake us!"

Ni lethargically watched the light filter through the tree branches they slept under. "It is so hard to use Iwafutae clan jutsu. How should we thank the kindness to sleep in?"

The twin brothers stared at each other for several long moments as the desire sank in, and they felt astonished that they had not properly repaid such kind thoughts. Their astonished expressions morphed into expressions of careful thought. They were not about to insult their hosts.

It was too much to reshape the stone face monuments. The fine and delicate work would take months of careful study and delicate craft. They also had learned of the maze of tunnels and safe houses that needed to be carefully reconstructed and reinforced. The task was a monumental as the memorial, and a rush job would do no favors to their reputation.

They dismissed reconstructing even one section of the great wall that protected Konoha. The sheer effort would leave them drained for at least a day, and they were staunchly against any disservice to any client that hired them. If they were going to do a job, they were going to do it right. After all, the first line of defense needed to be properly reinforced and constructed with the defending ninja in mind.

In a stroke of what they thought called brilliance, they finally came to a decision. They stood and clasped each other's shoulders at the thought and smiled widely. "We shall reconstruct one of the famous Konoha gates today! There is one each to the north, south, east, and west. In honor of Iwa and recognition of our mission honoring Earth-sama, we shall start at the north!"

They rushed off before their ANBU guard had the chance to say anything. Instead, they looked at each other feeling a cold sweat. They were assigned to watch and only interfere if or when necessary. Somewhat worriedly, one spoke up. "Should we stop them? There aren't any plans for construction in that area today…"

The other replied with a shrug. "It won't hurt. At least they're repairing something. I say we just follow orders and make sure they don't stir up any trouble, intentional or not." With a nod of agreement, they took off to catch up to the brothers Iwafutae. They had a job to do, and they weren't about to be caught 'sleeping' on it. Any one of the captains could be cruel to derelict responsibilities, not to mention how Kakashi would respond…

It didn't take them long to catch up. They made sure to stay in the shadows and keep an ear to the twins' conversations. The task wasn't at all difficult. The brothers were loud even as they chatted about seemingly useless topics. They discussed how they should address the people of the village, feeling they failed to communicate properly the other day. They discussed the beauty of the stone faces and how much it pained them to see the defiled state they had rested in.

They seemed as over-the-top as a certain green spandex laden elite jonin. They also seemed about as harmless, as long as something precious to them wasn't threatened. The ANBU guards weren't about to test any theories. They were perfectly willing to let well enough alone. Instead, they opted not to think too much about uncanny similarities in personality and instead continue their duties.

When they arrived at the spot of the former northern gate, they noticed a gathering team. An armored warrior rested against a ruined yet still stable wall, and a blue globe fluttered near his hidden face. They weren't certain, but they thought the two could be talking. They were certain, however, that he was carefully watching and guarding the red head around the corner.

She was talking to the village's hero about some matter they couldn't hear. They also noticed the lavender eyed girl standing next to him and lazy boy watching clouds not far away. They were likely preparing for a mission. Judging by their position, they were leaving via the northern gate.

Well, it wasn't so much a gate after Pein's rampage. The archway was collapsed, and the doors lay as little more than rubble along the path. The massive walls that once surrounded the humble gate lay in ruin, collapsed outward from the force of the techniques used. The proud defenses were but shambles of their former glory. They would be rebuilt, but a scar would always remain.

They didn't have time to reminisce as the brothers Iwafutae quickly started. They sat with heavy plops, raising a small dust cloud. As their hands flew through hand seals, their chakra flared. Nearby shinobi reacted, but the two ANBU present were able to easily quell fears. If they were present, there was either no threat or it was being dealt with. Most wanted the former, so they were willing to believe the chakra flare was for beneficial purposes.

The ANBU turned their attention back to Kanaeru's group when they heard shuffling gravel rushing that way. Seeing a pink haired medic, they returned their attention to the brothers Iwafutae. They really didn't need to concern themselves with the hero's longtime teammate coming to greet them. She was likely a part of the mission, anyway. The rough shape of a gate was already taking shape as globules of stone joined and solidified.

One of the ANBU happened to turn his attention to Kanaeru's group in time to see Naruto frozen stiff. He poked his partner's side to direct him to the attraction. A red haired child was tugging the blonde's arm, maybe trying to get his attention. A miko, they thought, watched the scene with a nervous smile. Yep, something most definitely interesting was going on, and they missed the lead up.

* * *

Kakashi looked up when the tent flap opened. He eyed Shizune questioningly, but he welcomed her in. "Well, I wasn't expecting you so soon. How's the medical staff handling things?" He was no expert on medical procedures, but he imagined it was difficult working without the proper facilities.

She nodded before reporting. "Well, the medic nin are handling everything as trained, but the civilian medics are finding it a bit harder to adjust. However…" She paused to collect her thoughts. "I'm not here for that right now." She nervously shifted as he steepled his hands and motioned for her to continue.

"Tsunade-sama's condition has stabilized, but it hasn't improved. She's still dangerously low on chakra, and her nervous system is…" She paused to swallow a lump in her throat. "It-It's not good. Her autonomic system's fine, so she no longer needs life support. However, she isn't responding well to other systems. Based on the jutsu she used and how much her chakra was depleted, indications are…"

Shizune didn't have to say anymore, and Kakashi finished for her. "…she may never be able to use jutsu again, even if she recovers from her coma." He looked down. Though he really was concerned for her, he still felt a pang of guilt hoping he wouldn't have to take her heavy responsibility as his own. He also knew, with such responsibility, he had to put aside personal feelings and move on. "How are the other patients?"

She nodded in appreciation of the change of subject. She loved Tsunade dearly, but she also had to keep her mind professional. "Most have been cleared enough to return to active duty. There are some I simply can't authorize release for. I know how desperate we are for money right now, and I know we have to portray a strong front. However…"

He raised his hand and shook his head. "I'm not sending shinobi on suicide missions. I've already made allowances for too much, and I'm not going to send good people out to die a second time." He eyed her pointedly. "Unless _you_ personally approve them to return to active duty, I'll consider them on leave or suspension."

Shizune obviously sighed in relief. "May I speak freely?" He slightly nodded. "Why are you taking Sakura off my staff? I need all the talented medical staff I can use. She's an invaluable medic. You know as well as I that quantity can never make up for quality, and she's one of the most qualified medics I have on hand. Sending her out on a mission is just… We _need_ her in the village."

Kakashi nodded. He couldn't help but agree. "You're right; we do." She was about to speak up in protest. "However, I have an obligation to protect my shinobi on the field. She is a trained and qualified field medic, and I have valuable assets traveling on an extended mission. As much as we need Sakura in the village, she's more useful earning money in the field while protecting assets on an extended mission."

He held up his hand to stop her next objection. "Shikamaru is leading a team including her, Naruto, and Hinata. They aren't just going on one, long, high-ranking mission. They are going on _several_ high-ranking missions while setting up a base camp in an allied land."

She nodded. She hated to admit it, but he made his point. "Okay, but next time please consult with me before sending medics out of the village. We can't afford to lose any of them with how vulnerable we are, and I know just how skilled every medic is. At the very least, I can advise you on the best candidates for a given mission."

He easily gave her his acquiescence. "Next time, I'll consult you. For now, I'd like to know what we've learned from Danzou's corpse. I need to see what we can tell Raikage-sama about Hitohana's death, and I'd like to know if any information was leaked. Though I don't think he'd do anything to weaken the village, I need to know _exactly_ what ROOT was up to."

She nodded and pulled out a small scroll. She slowly unfurled it and read the notes written on it. "The autopsy didn't reveal as much as we had anticipated, and Inoichi is still sifting through what he learned. We do know that, for some reason, his right arm and right eye were missing. Medical records indicate injuries to both, but no amputation is on record. There is also no indication if 'injury' to his eye meant it was missing or simply damaged."

She read further and paraphrased her notes on the findings. "The deeper analysis revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing outside his records showed up in his muscle memory or chakra system. He was incredibly well fit for his age and physical deterioration. He also learned to use his left hand as well as his right, as would be expected. Let's see… No, nothing was out of the ordinary with blood type, DNA, or, well, anything."

He leaned back in his chair. It was almost as disturbing to find out that _nothing_ was out of the ordinary as it was that such a powerful personality had _betrayed_ Konoha. He couldn't help but think the old man was delusional, but his plans were too well thought out and executed to be mere ravings. Giving up on thinking it through without more facts, he returned his attention to the present. "Tell Ibiki; I want to see him. I want to close this case as quickly as possible."

She politely bowed and left. She knew the elite jonin was never one to rush through things. He was as careful at thinking and planning as he was good at appearing aloof. He was concerned for the village, so he wanted to make sure he didn't go and add to their enemies. Akatsuki was dangerous enough without Kumo declaring war as well. He was walking on dangerously thin ice, and Danzou only helped melt it further.

* * *

"Oh, hey Shion!" Naruto waved with a smile. Though he was confused to see her in Konoha, he was happy to see a friend again. He quickly jogged up to her, and he noticed the little girl stare at him a little awestruck. He didn't know why she stared at him like that, but he knew didn't really have time to find out. "Hey, I've gotta leave for a mission soon. How long you gonna be here?"

Shion smiled sadly. "I have to leave today." He pouted, and she shook her head. "Don't be like that, danna-chan. We'll have plenty of time to catch up some other time. For now, I've come to introduce you to Momo-chan." She indicated the young red head, and she ventured closer to the blond genin.

Naruto smiled and looked down to her. "Oh, so you're name's Momo, huh?" He held his hand out to shake hers. "Nice to meet'cha! I'm Naruto, and someday I'm going to be Hokage!" She grabbed his forefinger and pinky. He chuckled. "Oh, is she your kid?"

Shion blushed and looked down. "Her name's actually Momiji. We just call her our little Momo-chan." She smiled brightly. "Well, I guess you could say she's _our_ child, danna-chan."

With one phrase, chaos broke out anew. Naruto's eyes went wide, and the color drained from his face. His body froze even before he felt killer intent and the sound of cracking knuckles coming from behind him. Just to add fuel to the fire, Shikamaru had to add his two cents. "You're so troublesome, Naruto. You want help digging your grave? I know this great spot, hardly needs any work."

He didn't have the energy to turn and glare at his strategic minded friend. He vaguely felt his arm being tugged on by the little girl. His mind raced with possibilities. Thanks to Jiraiya more so than the academy, he understood where children came from. He was _very_ sure he had done absolutely _nothing_ to have a child. There had to be some sort of misunderstanding!

He felt somebody slip in defensively behind him. He was surprised to think that Hinata came to his aid. He thought she would be the most upset, especially after her confession. "You don't understand!" He felt the killer intent die somewhat, but it was still intense enough to freeze him to the spot he stood. "Shion didn't mean it like that."

"How else could she have meant it?!" Sakura yelled. She knew Shion had feelings for Naruto. She would never forget the very unusual confession and carefully worded proposal. If he had taken advantage of her and left the care and responsibility of a child to her alone, she was sure as anything going to make sure her teammate, no matter how deep their bond, wound up back in the hospital. She cared for him, but there were certain lines you did not cross.

"He went and had a family without telling anybody…" Kanaeru trailed off. She was more upset that she didn't know, and she was using her killer intent to good effect. Her nephew was most certainly uncomfortable. "How can he expect people to respect him if he does something so irresponsible? What do you have to say for yourself, kit?"

Hinata shook her head vigorously. "Shion just adopted her in their names!" The killer intent simply vanished, and Naruto collapsed to a boneless heap on his rear. The little red haired girl seemed happy enough to sit in his lap and start poking his cheeks. "She… She rescued Momo-chan from something terrible, and she…she loves Naruto-kun."

Shion tilted her head to one side. "Honestly, why does everybody in Konoha have that reaction? Hinata fainted when I first told her. For some reason, all his so-called friends threatened to kill him when they first found out. Even if danna-chan were that irresponsible, I'd still love him and take care of our child. I'm Demons-sama for a reason."

Her smiling, warm expression melted any remaining negative feelings from Sakura and Kanaeru. They were about to speak up when Hinata turned around and criticized Shion with her hands balled into fists raised to almost shoulder level. "Oh Shion, why must you insist on calling Naruto-kun by danna-chan?" She pouted, obviously not happy. Though, her body language indicated she was on friendly terms with the daimyo priestess.

Shion tilted her head to one side. "Huh? Why shouldn't I? He's my danna-chan, after all. He promised to help me in any way he could, and I intend to keep him to that promise." She smiled lovingly at him. "He did tell me that he _never_ goes back on his word. Something about it being his nindo."

Hinata's pout deepened. "It's not fair to hold that over him." She sighed as she thought of all the promises he made. He promised to become the greatest Hokage the village had ever seen. He promised to free the Hyuuga from their cast system. He promised to find Sasuke and bring him back to the village, and he made it a promise of a lifetime. He hated, more than anything, broken promises. He fought to make sure he never broke even the most seemingly insignificant promise.

Shion held up a finger in a lecturing manner. "I'm not holding anything over him. He made a promise, and I simply intend to collect on it." She looked down to see Momiji happily playing with Naruto. She seemed to take naturally to the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. "He deserves some happiness."

Hinata was about to object until she heard the last statement. She held her head down, bangs overshadowing her eyes. A small smile still managed to light her features. "Yes, yes he does. Naruto-kun most definitely deserves some happiness." Though they disagreed on one key fact, they were friends who mutually saw just what Naruto deserved in his future, happiness. In whatever else he had, they agreed he needed that one fulfillment.

Kanaeru sighed. "I hate to interrupt, but you did come here for a reason, right Shion?" She wasn't feeling too terribly patient. It was better if they left sooner rather than later. She wanted to take Momiji with them, but she wasn't really looking to have a long discussion before they left. She had other reasons, but she wasn't going to voice them. For the moment, she wanted to hear the daimyo priestess' decision.

Shion smiled sadly. "I thought long and hard about what we discussed, and I've decided to agree to your idea. _However_, I do have some terms!" She held up her hand and held out three fingers. As she listed demands, she lowered one finger. "First, I want at least weekly updates! I want to know how my precious Momo-chan is doing. Second, I want to be allowed to see her whenever I want. Third…"

She knelt down and hugged Momiji even as she sat in Naruto's lap. She laughed happily at the show of affection and wrapped her arms around her adoptive mother's arms. "I want your assurance that nothing, and I mean _nothing_, is going to happen to her. I love her dearly, and I'm going to miss her…"

Kanaeru sighed. She could see the obvious affection the two had for one another. Momiji felt safety and love in Shion. She felt the same warmth in Naruto. She was against separating loving families, but she needed to protect the jinchuuriki of the Hachibi no Ushi. "I can agree to those terms. However, I imagine a daimyo such as yourself can't find too much free time to travel all the way to see your adoptive daughter as often as you'd like."

Shion sniffled, and Momiji responded with a worried look. "No, I probably can't. However, I'm sure you'll find someway, if only to keep your promise. At least I'll know Momo-chan is safe. She'll be with danna-chan, and you are obviously interested in keeping her safe." She stood and wiped forming tears from her eyes. "Are you okay staying with Naruto-kun?"

Momiji's face lit up. "Can Momo-chan really stay with Naru-chi?" She waited expectantly as her adoptive mother nodded. "Yay! Momo-chan can stay with Naru-chi! Is Shinon-chi coming, too?" Her smile quickly turned into a frown at seeing a negative response. "Aw, but Momo-chan wants to be with Naru-chi and Shinon-chi."

Shion smiled even as she lightly chided the young child's selfishness. "Now, now Momo-chan, I can't always be with you. Don't worry; you'll have fun playing with Naruto-kun and everybody else. I have some very important business that can't wait. You understand, right Momo-chan?"

Though her frown deepened, Momiji nodded. Though she was treated kindly in the palace, she often felt alone when Shion had to attend state business. It was difficult for her to warm up to anybody, and she often hid from palace guards or servants until her adoptive mother was available again.

She liked Hinata because the shy heiress was gentle and open. She didn't take immediately to her, but she still felt safer around her than even the kindest guards. Naruto was something else all together. She felt warm and safe like she never had, and she just gravitated towards him. She at least understood she was in good company.

Naruto looked questioningly to Shion. "Wait, she's going with us." She managed to maintain a smile even as she sadly nodded. She was going to miss her adoptive daughter. He looked to Kanaeru. "Did you know that?" She half shrugged in acknowledgement. "Isn't it too dangerous for her? I mean; this is a ninja mission." He tried not to raise his tone, but his agitation was obvious. Momiji held tighter to him.

Kanaeru raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do you think you're incapable of defending one itsy-bitsy girl? I mean; your first mission _is_ an escort mission. You think escorting Gayt, Star, and me justifies B-rank mission pay?" Naruto stuttered on a response. "We have a ways to go, and she seems very much attached to you. Make the best of it. At least it's still an easy mission."

Naruto heaved a sigh. She was right, of course. He thought the 'courtesy' mission was a bit too easy, but he wasn't going to complain. He had a feeling he'd see plenty of action once the _real_ missions started. Having the innocent girl along would only make him pay more attention as they escorted his aunt and her entourage to…wherever they were going. He didn't see the point of keeping their destination a secret, but she was the client.

"Momo-chan…" When Momiji turned her attention to Shion, the daimyo priestess continued. "…promise you'll be a good girl for Naruto-kun. He can't be with you all the time, and he might ask you to stay with some people he trusts. They might have to read you bed time stories because of how long he'll be gone. You have to be good, even in those times."

Momiji nodded. She was excited to spend time with Naruto, but she wasn't sure about being away from Shion for so long. She was too confused to be jumping around joyously or wailing about sorrowfully. She opted to hold close to the protective warmth she felt from the blond genin. She could trust him, and she'd be a good girl if it meant seeing everybody again.

"Eep!" Loud noises nearby made her scream and nuzzle into the strong chest protecting her. She felt her body lifted, and the aura around her changed. The protective warmth was still there, but it was nearly overpowering. She was wrapped in a blanket that seemed to tell her she was safe. Then she felt disarming presences.

"ANBU-san, what's going on? Is the village under attack again?" Sakura voiced her concern with deliberate calm. She wanted to ease the young girl's anxiety, and she knew panicking would have the opposite effect. She also noticed how Kanaeru, Gayt, and Star had reacted more to the scream than unusual noises nearby.

One ANBU indicated the nearby gate. Though view of it was obscured by dilapidated walls, the meaning was clear. "Currently, the northern gate is under construction. Doton users are hastening repairs. We are not under attack, so please calm down. I hope the construction didn't frighten the child too much."

"Why are ANBU here if it's just construction?" Naruto looked to Shikamaru as the lazy chunin spoke. He never noticed his strategic minded friend get up, let alone move to stand next to him. He was grateful, nonetheless, in the obvious show of support. Not to defend him, of course, but to defend the innocent girl he held in his arms.

The first ANBU looked to the second, and he in turn sputtered for a response. To their surprise, Kanaeru easily answered. "They're supervising guests from Iwa, the Iwafutae brothers. They are very good at what they do, but their personalities put a lot of people off. I'm sure you've met eccentric dolts like them before. Don't worry, just ignore them."

"Anyway…" She groused. "We really need to get going." She turned her attention to Shion. "Thank you again for bringing her here. I promise we'll keep her safe from Akatsuki. I'll fight to keep their grubby hands off of her." She silently added to her promise. _"They'll have to pry my cold, dead fingers from her, and I promise I'm taking as many of them with me as possible if that happens!"_

Shion smiled sadly. "Y-Yeah…" She turned and politely bowed to Naruto. "Please take care of our daughter, danna-chan." With tears welling in her eyes, she turned and ran before she could change her mind. She _knew_ Momiji would be safe with them. She trusted Naruto and Kanaeru. She felt safe with Naruto's friends, especially Hinata. There was no way they would let harm come to her precious adoptive daughter.

When she left Demons for her little vacation to Fire, she thought Momiji's biggest threats were from superstitious farmers and townspeople. She had no idea a far bigger plot was targeting her precious adoptive daughter. She also had no idea previously of the bijuu sleeping within her. She wasn't scared of her daughter, but she was scared for her. Akatsuki was like a shopping list of the worst criminals in the world, and they were after both her beloveds.

For Naruto's part, he watched dumbfounded. He didn't quite understand why Shion insisted on calling him husband, and he was even more confused about how Momiji was adopted in both their names. He shook his head and looked to his teammates for some answers. Shikamaru shook his head, and Sakura rolled her eyes. Hinata averted his gaze. He huffed. _"I suppose I'm not getting answers that easily."_

"Well, I'm team leader this time around. You've all worked with me before, so you already know what I expect." He turned respectfully to Kanaeru. "You're our client for all our missions, so I suppose we're taking orders from you. Mind if I ask where we're heading first? I'd like to know where we're setting up base camp."

"First, we're going to a little port town named after a local hero. You see; he saved them in a little known battle that set the tone for all subsequent battles against Kiri." She paused to try building anticipation. "We're heading for Minato!" She pouted when they didn't respond like she wanted. "That's not our final destination. We'll take a ferry, but where we're heading… It's a secret."

Shikamaru pushed past Naruto before the blond genin could retort. Understanding the message, he rolled his eyes and carefully positioned Momiji, so she could ride piggyback style. Though scared of the strange noises and rumbling, she was happy enough to oblige. She even giggled through sniffles, which brought as mile to Naruto's face. Hinata giggled happily, and Sakura shook her head in mirth.

Kanaeru rotated her arm in a mock stretch. Gayt fell into step beside her at her order to follow, and Star fluttered above his shoulder. The way she swayed back and forth seemed to indicate she was sitting on his shoulder. He looked at her for a moment then over his shoulder and nodded. "We'll do as Kanaeru-sama orders."

Without further conversation, the client, her entourage, and escort quickly crossed the village threshold. They heard the brothers Iwafutae complain about something as they left the unfinished gates, but they paid them no heed. Whatever they had to say, it seemed they didn't like the idea of people 'using' an unfinished masterpiece.

* * *

Three ninja rushed down the streets of Konoha as the sun reached its noontime peak. At the lead, a jonin wore a bandana to cover his scarred and bald head. Beside him, a blond jonin with his hair in a ponytail kept up, determined expression tightening his face. The third was a girl half covered in bandages. Her auburn hair sparkled in the sunlight, and her scowl spoke volumes of her mood.

Unnoticed by anybody but the most skilled shinobi, a squad of ANBU trailed them from the shadows. They kept eyes on the crowds for anything or anyone suspicious. They had to get the information to Kakashi. When they arrived at the makeshift headquarters, they formed a perimeter of extra protection for the interim Hokage.

Kakashi looked up when Ibiki, Inoichi, and Isaribi entered. He narrowed his visible eye and closed the folder he was working. As much as he hated paperwork, he knew he did not prefer the interruption he was being handed. He tented his hands and leaned against them with a shallow nod.

Ibiki stepped forward and easily started. "Danzou was killed with his own sword, and physical and chakra evidence links the same weapon to Hitohana's murder." He paused before declaring the obvious. "Danzou killed Hitohana against Tsunade-sama's orders and betrayed the village. I already have our best diplomats drafting a formal apology for Kumo and Raikage-sama."

He reached into a pocket and extracted several scrolls. He stopped forward long enough to place them on Kakashi's desk before stepping back and continuing. "I'd prefer to get it straight from the traitor's mouth, but I've put all my findings in those reports. In summary, Danzou's body was covered in scars and Fuuin that his service and medical records could not validate. He was missing an arm, so there's a possibility that whoever took it will use it to copy some jutsu."

"A thorough search of his residence turned up nothing, and ANBU squads are still searching for ROOT headquarters and other offices. Unfortunately, ROOT members have been most uncooperative. Most are either mute or sealed to prevent divulging secrets. They cannot reveal, willingly or otherwise, any information they know of Danzou or his operations."

The meaning was obvious. They didn't know if Danzou was working with anybody. They could only place him under house arrest in the first place because of evidence that he was working with Orochimaru. He twisted facts enough to convince the clan council that he was planning an assassination, and the planted operative, Sai, was the perfect alibi.

The jonin council wasn't nearly as convinced. They were willing to pay for ANBU operatives to keep an eye on him and his residence. They never found anything, and recent evidence suggested it was easy enough for him to slip out by using some sort of mind-control technique. They had to research it more.

They had no idea how he learned such strong techniques, and they had no idea how Uchiha chakra pathways related to it. Certain records on the Uchiha were still sealed and required both clan and jonin council to vote in the majority to unseal them. The Hokage could also order the records unsealed, but Kakashi didn't have the authority as the interim leader. It was going to be a long process unless Tsunade woke up soon.

Kakashi indicated Inoichi, since Ibiki seemed like he was finished. The mental master smoothly started his report. "Investigating ROOT members' minds has been a hassle. I don't believe Danzou was ever a Fuuin master, so I don't know how he got a hold of a Fuuin powerful enough to seal out the mind. I couldn't get any information out of them without killing them from mental trauma."

The atmosphere in the tent seemed to freeze over. Nobody really wanted to kill ninja potentially loyal to Konoha. There was still a chance to use them outside of Danzou's influences. The mental master decided to quickly continue. "Danzou's mind is another story. Well, what's left of it is anyway. Whoever killed him messed his mind up something fierce. I caught glimpses of a shadow image _very_ prominently, but I can't tell you any details."

He indicated the scrolls on Kakashi's desk. "My findings are in with Ibiki's. They don't really add anything. We _can_ speculate that the 'shadow image' is some sort of outside force. Based on how important the jinchuuriki are to their relationship, that person might be Akatsuki." He liked his lips, not liking the heavy assumption coming next. "Very possibly, that person is strong enough to be their leader."

Kakashi nodded. "We can't rule out the possibility, but we also can't just let that information out. We don't know for sure, and we don't want a mass panic. It's enough to tell Raikage-sama that Hitohana might have been killed for one of Akatsuki's plans. It might be better if we can relate the incident to one of the jinchuuriki."

"We may not need to." Ibiki ventured. When Kakashi indicated he should continue, he nodded and did just that. "Akatsuki may want to weaken the villages. Hitohana was a vital part of Kumo's elite forces. With how many key members Konoha and Suna have managed to take out, they may feel backed into a corner. They might be going after elites in retaliation to weaken the villages before moving in for the jinchuuriki. They could also be trying to pit the villages against each other."

Kakashi sighed. The possibility was too real. If Akatsuki wanted to sabotage relations, causing discord between the major ninja villages was certainly an effective method. The last thing he wanted was a fourth ninja world war starting. Konoha was too vulnerable, and they only had one solid ally, Suna. Shaking his head from such dire thoughts, he motioned for Isaribi.

She nodded and stepped forward to put a single scroll on his desk. "ROOT has operations outside of Konoha, and I've managed to effectively shut down their communications network. Jiraiya-sama managed to plant operatives a long time ago, but they could never get close enough to do anything but disrupt the flow of information or feed false reports."

"Even so, ROOT seemed to sort through information too quickly and establish what was false and what was not. Danzou had some other source of information that Jiraiya-sama could never sniff out. Nonetheless, he suspected ties with Rain, Akatsuki, or another organization seeking a coup de tat within Konoha and alliance with a more agreeable leader."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. She didn't have as much information as he'd like, but anything was better than nothing. Danzou was a very busy man. He had worked with Hanzou to crush a coup de tat within Rain, so he had no doubt the war hawk had his own plans for Konoha and how it should be run. It was worrisome that his spy network managed to avoid sabotage from Jiraiya's.

With their reports given, he handed them each a folder. As they opened them, he explained the contents. "Danzou managed to remain a mystery in a world of subterfuge and spy games. Even in his own village, he's managed to keep his records sealed. Because of his charisma, he convinced the clan council to be appointed as an advisor and 'watchdog' to the Hokage. Everything he has done for the village has become suspect."

He leaned back wearily in his chair. "You each have your assignments, until told otherwise. I need his entire background checked and rechecked. I need to know what he has manipulated and how far back his manipulations go. I need to know how and where he learned that jutsu, and I want to know who, if anybody, he was serving. If you run into any walls, tell me. I'll try to get the clan council to go along with my requests."

They nodded in agreement. They also understood what he meant. The jonin council wouldn't be a problem. They concentrated on internal affairs and made sure their decisions were most inline with the citizens of Konoha. The clan council, on the other hand, sometimes let political or economical ties blur their values. It was a difficult situation and a very difficult line to walk.

They looked up when the tent flap opened. A ninja with a messenger bird on his shoulder was standing with a small scroll. Kakashi motioned for him to enter, and he went over the diplomatic parchment without dismissing the others. He wanted their opinions anyway. It was of great interest to Konoha to get the message to Kumo as quickly as possible, but they also wanted to make sure nothing said could start an international incident that could possibly lead to all out war.

* * *

"Hold up, guys." Naruto gently called out. Everybody quickly came to a stop and looked to him confusedly. They knew he would be the _last_ to get tired. He was looking over his shoulder with some concern. "Um, she's asleep. Should we stop here? I mean; this is the first time she's been away from Shion, right?" He didn't exactly know what to think.

Kanaeru let out an exasperated sigh; though, she wore a smile on her face. Her nephew was certainly an entertaining one. "Nah, we should keep moving. We can't afford to stay in one place too long, and she's sound asleep anyway. Don't worry kit; kids just fall asleep like that. Just use your ninja training not to disturb her." She gave him a reassuring wink.

He blushed in embarrassment and nodded. When he caught up, they were quickly off again. They traveled swift and silent through the trees. They kept their senses sharp and on the lookout. They didn't want to be ambushed by Akatsuki members. As such a large group, they stood out no matter how careful they were. Their combined chakra, even suppressed, could easily attract the attention of trained warriors.

There was no tension between any members of the group. Any misgivings or unspoken words were forgotten to the intense desire to protect the innocent in their group. They instinctively formed a protective perimeter around Naruto. Hinata activated her kekkei genkai from time to time to ensure they were surprised by unwelcomed company. They had a long way to travel to the port city of Minato, and it wasn't a guarantee Akatsuki couldn't penetrate so deeply into Fire territory.

Hinata held up a fist, and everybody came to an immediate stop. Naruto reflexively shifted Momiji to better protect her and keep an eye out. Hinata and Sakura stood shoulder to shoulder directly behind him, acting as a first line of defense and shield. Shikamaru and Kanaeru stood to either side. Gayt stood at the front with Star circling.

They stood for several tense moments as they watched the surroundings with enough intensity to freeze any fleeing fauna. Even the flora seemed to still at their gaze. The forest grew as silent as they were just moments ago, and it was as still as their breaths caught in their throats. They didn't know what to expect, and Hinata continued to watch with Byakugan blazing.

A smirking ninja walked out into the opening with arms raised disarmingly. He wore a cloud symbol upon his hitai-ate, and he carried more swords than feasible to wield. His smirk broke with a single word. "Yo!" He didn't seem at all concerned with how badly he was outnumbered. When they didn't lower their guard any, he simply plopped to the ground with legs crossed and hands on his knees. "Come on, the Kira Bii isn't here to fight."

"What are you doing here?" Kanaeru asked crossly. She was in no mood to play games. She wanted to get to the port city of Minato as quickly as possible and move on to their final destination. The last thing she wanted was an interruption. She also didn't like how he looked knowingly to Momiji and Naruto.

"I've never met another jinchuuriki before." Shikamaru looked to Naruto as the stranger spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you! My friends tell me your jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi no Kitsune." His smirk morphed into an amorous smile. "I see you're protecting the cute miss there! I'm glad to see jinchuuriki can get along."

He instinctively tilted his head back when he felt cold steal against his neck. His smile changed to an arrogant smirk when he looked into the green eyes of the red haired kunoichi. She had him at his mercy. He couldn't move. "My, ain't you the pretty one. Want a date with the Kira Bii?"

She pressed her advantage, drawing a trickle of blood. He swallowed harshly as if to prove he wasn't afraid. "What are you doing here? Are you with Akatsuki?" If he knew Naruto was the jinchuuriki of Kyuubi no Kitsune, he could be after her nephew and the innocent girl. She couldn't risk him getting too close. "Keep your eyes out, Akatsuki don't travel alone!"

He chuckled. "I ain't with them. They can't even appreciate a good artist! Erk!" He was forced to lean back as she pressed her surprisingly sharp-edged chain into his neck. "I'm here to give ya'll some word." She lessened her pressure ever so slightly. "Akatsuki tried to kill me for a bijuu I don't have, so I thought it prudent to let the real jinchuuriki know."

"Humph…" She backed off, but she continued to hold a defensive posture. "We already know what Akatsuki's up to." She briefly looked over her shoulder to see Shikamaru's reaction. She wasn't sure if he already knew. She didn't see anything of concern, so she quickly returned her scrutinizing gaze to the unwelcome company. "You expect me to believe you made the journey all the way from Kumo _just_ to tell us that?"

His smirk broadened. "I owe the cute miss there a favor. She's a real lifesaver, and I owe her family a lot." He chuckled. "You're right, though. I didn't travel all the way from Kumo _just_ for that." He pointed his thumb to the center of his chest. "I'm here on vacation!"

Collectively, expressions fell. They couldn't help it. He possibly gave them the dumbest reason of all. He basically admitted that he had run away, like a delinquent child. As they sobered from dumbstruck, Shikamaru was the next to speak out. "Does your village know you're gone?"

Kira Bii shrugged. "Dunno, but they might think I'm dead." They were struck dumb once again. "I got in this real nasty fight against some Akatsuki punk looking to make a name for himself. I think he said he was an Uchiha or some nonsense, but I can't be bothered to remember." He picked at his ear and flicked whatever he found away.

"Wait!" Naruto exclaimed, partially waking Momiji from her slumber. She groggily looked around, head rolling on her neck. Blearily, her gaze locked on what he was looking at. "Did you say you saw Sasuke?! Where?!" In his excitement, he forgot he was carrying a child on his back. He hadn't realized he had partially woken her from her slumber, and she was slowly becoming fully aware.

Once again, Kira Bii shrugged. "Someplace outside Kumo, I s'pose. He suddenly attacked me thinking I was jinchuuriki of the Hachibi no Ushi." He chuckled. "I coulda kicked him into next week, too. I decided to let him think he'd captured me. Didn't make my friends all that happy. Not an experience I want to repeat, really."

Kanaeru held up her hands to stop the conversation before it got out of hand. "Okay, so you saw the Uchiha brat! We don't really have time for that." She heaved a sigh. "You've delivered your message, so you can leave now. We don't have time to waste with you. We don't tell Konoha that you're here without permission if you leave us peacefully…_now_!"

"Eh, nii-nii?" All attention shifted to Momiji. She groggily rubbed her eyes. She looked at Kira Bii confusedly. "Wha're you doing here?" She didn't seem afraid of him, but she did snuggle closer to Naruto. She was either seeking added warmth or being shy.

A huge smile broke out on Kira Bii's face. "Ah, the cute miss is awake!" She shrunk away further, obviously shy. She barely peaked at him, unsure of him. "It's good to see you! I hope that old man's all right. It's too bad he couldn't do the same thing for Yugito-chan, but things happen."

Kanaeru renewed her defensive. She pressed her chain into the ground, and rock spike appeared around him and took the shape of chain links. He was forced to all fours in a submissive bow. "You're making yourself rather suspicious again. How did you know about her when this is the first time she's ventured outside of Demons?"

He chuckled, obviously amused. He didn't seem frightened despite his obvious disadvantage. He looked up enough to see Shikamaru preparing a hand seal. "Talk about overkill. That pineapple head's a Nara, and I'm _already_ immobile." He barely grunted when she stomped on his hand, carefully out of the girl's vision. Her message is obvious. "I don't know if I wanna tell ya."

She bent down and very suggestively leaned forward. He took advantage of her angle and stared down her cleavage. Her green eyes close enough, he looked into them and was about to use another of his lines when a rock slammed into his chin. She carefully whispered to him. "I'm _very_ good at killing people without anybody else noticing. I'd rather that precious little girl witness another battle."

Her message was clear and he lowered his head. "That cute miss witnessed a battled?" He only needed to see her shadow nod. Overdramatically, he bellowed his distaste. "Oh, to witness a child's innocence washed away! Nay, it was stolen from her! Oh, the pang of sadness, nay regret, in my heart is too much to bear! What evil, what terrible evil defiles such a cute mind!"

Kanaeru palmed her face, an expression shared by Sakura. Hinata tilted her head to one side nervously. Shikamaru and Naruto rolled their eyes; the latter only because of Momiji. She made some startled noise and buried her face into the back of his jacket. If they said he was over the top, they'd make a grave understatement.

With a heavy sigh, Kanaeru decided to stop his wallowing. "Oh, would you stop that. We don't have all day to indulge you. We're trying to get our cute guest somewhere she's safe from Akatsuki." She held up her hand when he looked at her with an obvious question. "Before you ask, I am _not_ telling you, and you _cannot_ come!" She made her point and was obvious adamant.

Kira Bii decided not to press the issue. "You know Demons has non-aggression pacts with all the shinobi villages?" His question was more a statement, but he received the answer he was expecting in a group of nods. "Well, sometimes the villages want to inspect the land, make sure they ain't setting up any unauthorized ninja villages. Well, I was sent there once."

His smirk only widened at their questioning expressions. "Ya see; I met the cute miss on that visit. It was quite enlightening. I found out a lot about jinchuuriki and bijuu. The best thing is, I left Demons with one less burden." He tilted his head to one side. "I _was_ the Kumo's jinchuuriki for the Hachibi no Ushi!"

* * *

Please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and my forum is open. I got my final grade back for my last class, and it's nice to see an A helping my GPA rather than a B hurting it. I'm also starting another one (hopefully easier) as my retail work heads into the dreaded (for employees, not employers) Golden Quarter. I'm thinking of taking December "off" from this fan fiction to help recuperate and dedicate time to _Full Metal Alchemist: Fate, Alchemy, and Bridges_.

You know I had to put a Shion moment in. Momiji had to get to the group somehow, and I couldn't help myself.

...and, _no_! I am _not_ writing verse for Kira Bii! I'm including him for now out of necessity! I hate how he talks, and I'm not completely sold on his character. If somebody wants to follow up my releases with "more appropriate" lines for him, be my guest. Do enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,022  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

danna - husband

nindo - way of the ninja


	36. Chapter 33: Birth

TimeShifter: The ANBU are entertained by Naruto 'cause, let's face it, the boy's just entertainment wrapped in a neat package! The political stuff is for clearly defining some future events. It's as important as it is boring! Kakashi asked me to add the last part. Anyway, Madara's plans for Sai will slowly reveal themselves. For now, he cackles evilly in the corner. Ugh, that's some annoying laughter... It seems we both enjoyed cutting a cliche moment short. Now you have me imagining some odd moments between the energetic if shy Momiji and lazybones Shikamaru... Remember, Hachibi isn't a Gyuuki in this story. Also, thanks for understanding how difficult it is to write in verse. It's a talent that I, sadly, sorely lack.

RasenShuriken92: Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 33:  
Birth  
**

"Well, that's your mission. You leave immediately." Kakashi's eye curved as he smiled. Neji and Tenten stood before him as he closed the mission folder. While Neji stood confidently with eyes closed and back straight, Tenten couldn't keep the confused expression off her face. "What? Is something wrong?"

"No, no…!" Tenten waved her arms in front of her, hands flailing. "Just…" Her arms stopped, crossed in front of her chest. "…well, um…" She gathered her thoughts carefully as she tried to think of the right things to say.

"It seems odd that they request a _two_ man cell for the return escort." Neji paused as his partner nodded her head vigorously and grunted in agreement. "Where is Hinata-sama?" He wanted answers, and he wasn't leaving anything to chance.

Kakashi tilted his head to one side. _"Well, he always was observant. I think it's better to just give him what he wants."_ With a sigh, he reluctantly reached a decision. "Actually, you…" He indicated the Hyuuga prodigy. "…were originally requested for the retrieval mission. You weren't available, so we sent Hinata. Now, Hinata was requested for a different mission, and you _are_ available."

"You still haven't answered my question, Kakashi-san." Neji addressed his superior coolly to match his calm demeanor. He knew lesser men would take offense to inappropriate honorifics, but the man before him stood less on formalities than most he knew. "The first mission only requested a _one_ man cell, and Tsunade-sama sent Hinata-sama. Why are the mission details so different this time? Also, where is Hinata-sama if she is not here to return Demons-sama to her land?"

Kakashi shrugged. The Hyuuga were never a clan to leave well enough alone, and their prodigy was no different. "Shion-sama has seen enough death and destruction. Truthfully, it was Mizukura who suggested an enhanced detail for heightened security. Like last time, we doubt a shinobi raid, but we oblige our clients with whatever they request and pay for."

With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair to buy a little time to think. As the young adults grew anxious for his answer to the next question, he started. "My, my…" He inwardly chuckled at their startled reactions. "I can't tell you where Hinata-chan is. I can tell you that Kanaeru-san hired her along with Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan, and Shikamaru-kun for a series of extended missions. Other than that, details are classified on a need-to-know basis."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Hinata-sama is safe?" He only needed to see his superior nod to be satisfied. He turned to Tenten without even taking the mission folder. "We should hurry, Tenten. It's a long mission with civilians slowing us down." He left the tent, barely giving her time to sputter her affirmative.

Once his pace slowed, Tenten quickly caught up and grabbed Neji by the shoulder. When they both stopped, she tugged to indicate he should turn around. Face to face, she looked at him curiously. "That's it? You're not going to press for more information? That's not like you, Neji." She tried to read his eyes for the small hint of emotion she knew was usually there. She was hard pressed to believe the confidence she found.

He spoke to alleviate her fears. "Actually, our talk was quite enlightening." She blinked, slightly confused, but nodded for him to continue. "Kanaeru-san, who has the respect of both Hiashi-sama and Tsunade-sama, paid for a series of extended missions. She either belongs to a wealthy clan or is acting as a middleman to clients requiring shinobi for missions. Either way, Kakashi trusts her enough to agree to the proposition."

Tenten nodded. Konoha needed money, but the most important aspect to sending ninja on missions was trust. Neji continued. "Naruto is also a part of the mission. He has never allowed one of his precious people to come to harm during a mission, and I believe Hinata-sama might have become someone more precious, in spite of what he might say or do to the contrary."

He held up a finger to stall any questions or arguments. "At the very least, we can trust Naruto to do whatever is necessary to keep everybody safe. In addition, Sakura is there to take care of any injuries. She also isn't afraid to discipline Naruto if she feels he is being…" He paused to collect the right word. "…inappropriate."

She nodded and licked her lips. "What about Shikamaru and Gayt? I mean; I get that Kanaeru-san seems trustworthy, and I _know_ we can trust Shikamaru. Just, how exactly do they relieve your worries?" She wasn't exactly sure how to voice her concerns.

Understanding, he turned around and started walking. Hearing her grumble and catch up, he decided to answer her questions. "Shikamaru is a strategic genius, so I trust him to best use the resources available to him. Gayt is a difficult subject to read, but he is fiercely loyal to Kanaeru-san." His lips twisted into a confident smirk. "He'll do whatever is necessary to defend Kanaeru-san and carry out her will, and she seems…interested in Hinata-sama."

Tenten smirked and shook her head. She was worried for Neji for nothing. He was confident and observant. "However, Kakashi's also hiding something." The Hyuuga prodigy continued without preamble. She looked at him, startled. "We still don't know what Kanaeru-san's exact relation to the village is. Her clan and loyalties are a mystery, but she's keenly interested in Naruto. Since he didn't reveal that, he doesn't want us to know. What we don't know, we can't leak willingly or not."

She swallowed audibly at the thought. If Kakashi didn't want the information getting out, whatever was being held back just might be big, big news. She knew they weren't privy to a lot of the village's secrets, but she had hoped she could keep informed on her friends at least. The weapons' mistress realized it was harder for the prodigy. He was being kept in the dark concerning family, his cousin.

"Hey, Neji…" He looked over his shoulder and was about to reply when she ran past him. Grabbing his hand, she turned slightly with a bright smile on her lips. As he blinked dumbfounded, she pulled him along. "We can't be late for our meeting, now! Come on, we should meet with our client!" She was glad for a change in atmosphere, and he willingly allowed himself to be dragged along.

* * *

It was a quiet day in the Hyuuga estate. The large clan compound had survived most of the damage from the disastrous invasion. The outer walls were a little worse for wear. Some sections had fallen, but only cracks marred most of the surface. A loud chorus of children laughing and playing disrupted the supposedly peaceful scene. After all, Hinata had given permission for ninja academy lessons to be given within the secure confines of the grounds.

"Iruka-sensei…" Naruto's academy teacher turned to see Rikka approaching. Curiously, he smiled and waited for her to continue. "Where'd Naruto go?" His eyes widened in surprise. "I can't sense him anymore, so I know he's outside the village." Though her abilities were severely limited, she could still focus in on one person enough to tell if they were within Konoha's radius. It was a bit of a strain, still.

"Rikka-chan…" He hesitated as he thought of the best way to explain the situation. "Naruto can't always be in the village. He has missions, just like any other shinobi. He's probably just left to go on a mission. He'll be back." He smiled warmly; glad to see the young girl's concern.

She sighed in exasperation. "I'm _not_ a little girl!" She lightly stomped her foot. Though she pretended to be young girl around Konoha's academy youth, her instructor was one of the few who knew the truth. "Nobody else can hear our conversation if we hold it privately, so just tell me the truth." Her eyes were serious and promise retribution.

He knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulder like he would any other of his students. She flinched away for a moment, but she relaxed when he showed no ill intent. "You shouldn't do that. ANBU has to be able to trust you, and it's not good to keep things from your classmates." He shook his head when he sensed she was about to respond. The experience was different with somebody who could get into your head. "Even if you think they're immature, you should still think of them as important friends."

She sulked but acquiesced. She stopped concentrating and reopened her thoughts to anybody in 'listening' range. "Ah, but I really want to know where Naruto is!" The students that heard her approached with equal curiosity. "I didn't even get to see him between Pein attacking and him leaving! Now he's gone, and I don't know when I'll see him again!"

Iruka smiled. Rikka was like a spoiled little girl who wanted to play with her older (younger?) brother. "Don't you mean Naruto-niichan?" He teased her and earned a crowd of giggles from the gathered children. She pouted, but he continued tenderly. "Naruto has to go out on missions, same as everybody else. He's a strong and valuable asset to the village, and I'm sure you'll get to see him when he returns."

Rikka was about to pretend to open her mouth to say something when a thought caught her attention a split second before it was spoken aloud. Her jaw slackened just before the words reached Iruka's ears. "Will Naruto-niichan come see all of us?" "Yeah, Naruto-niichan is cool!" "My kaa-san hasn't said anything mean about him in a while." "Hey, neither has my tou-san!"

She just stared at her sensei as he took in the words around him. His face was alight with mirth, pleased for his student. No, there was something else. She realized as she studied him. He was proud of Naruto like a little brother. Her mind reeled as she tried to grasp the situation. She was witnessing something her mother adamantly declared to be impossible.

The children around her weren't lying. She tried to stretch out to their parents, but her chakra limiter forced her to stop. She didn't dare go beyond the feeling of pins-and-needles to pain and eventually unconsciousness. Instead, her classmates' fresh memories were enough for her. She knew many genuinely celebrated Naruto's return and victory, but she never let the belief that anything had changed entertain thought space.

She was witnessing a paradigm shift. Her classmates were sincerely excited at the prospect of Naruto visiting. They no longer feared punishment from their parents for saying something positive about the outcast. Like sponges, they soaked up the sudden acceptance he had gained. Some of the boys looked up to him like a boss while some girls cooed his name.

Rikka smiled a heartfelt smile. Though she loved her mother dearly, everything she ever taught her and her siblings was wrong. Positive things could come from the positive actions of an individual or group. Things _could_ change for the better. She was bearing witness to such a phenomenon.

She didn't have her answer. She didn't know where Naruto was. She couldn't sense him, and she couldn't tell which direction he was traveling in. Nevertheless, she felt warm inside. It was a strange feeling, one her adolescent body didn't understand. Past experience tried to tell her what the feeling was, but she ignored it in favor of feeling more like her immature classmates.

Iruka clapped his hands, cutting short everybody's reverie. Rikka, as most of her classmates, instinctively snapped to attention. "All right class, we have a lot to get done and not a lot of time to do it. On today's agenda…" As he continued, the class listened. Some intently hung on his every word. Others flicked pebbles as they tried their best to ignore him. The rest continued to think or try to hide conversations about Naruto.

* * *

Karui, Omoi, and Samui were walking along in a rare moment of peace and quiet. Samui kept looking between her companions to see who would break first. She knew it was only a question of time. One enjoyed practical jokes, and the other had a hot temper easily sparked by even the smallest things. Well, the reasons might not exactly seem small really.

"Ugh, why'd you have to go and lose him?!" Karui snapped. Birds flew from the canopy to escape the echoing, noisy disturbance. She turned to face the male of the group, fuming and foot tapping. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides. Her temper seemed to solidify into waves of killing intent.

"Ah, it wasn't my fault." Omoi defended himself. "We're tracking an Uchiha, after all. Besides…" He looked her up and down. "…if you weren't so noisy and foul mouthed, you might have used your feminine wiles to woo that young brat." He dodged when she threw a punch. "I mean; he is just a brat after all." He dodged a sweeping kick. "He doesn't know how to resist physical temptation like us adults."

"You're just one big idiot!" She yelled as Samui palmed her face. "You like this? You think it's a game?!" She kicked a small pebble into the air and caught it. She threw it with all her strength as she yelled. "Idiot!" He dodged, and it sailed past him. "Idiot! Idiot! Do you even remember who we're looking for?!" She took a solid stance and set her hands into the first of several hand seals. Samui held up her hand and opened her mouth too late to stop Karui. "_Doton: Iwawaku_!"

Samui sighed and palmed her face again as a pile of rocks formed before her female comrade. She shook her head as her male comrade ran as fast as he could from the chakra controlled rockslide. "We're in Fire, you idiots. You never know when you're being watched!" She straightened when she heard something drop behind her. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "See?"

She raised her arms disarmingly and allowed the leaf ANBU to detain her. Her comrades followed suite as they stopped running around. They observed how many ANBU there were and decided there were more in waiting. They didn't know if any captains were around, but they already knew they were expected in Konoha. It was better not to raise suspicions any more than necessary.

As they gathered, one of the ANBU seemed to take charge and speak up. "I hope you have good reasons for being here. Otherwise, your presence in Fire could be considered an act of war." The three cloud nin tensed instinctively. "What are you up to, and why were you throwing around ninjutsu so close to Konoha?"

Samui glared at her comrades, and they tightened their jaws to stay silent. _"Good, you two have already caused enough trouble."_ She forced herself to relax slightly and look into the apparent leader's eyes, or at least eyeholes. "Hitohana-sama should have announced our visit some time ago. He was to negotiate terms, and we are to trade information. We've also been given permission to hire a tracker from Konoha if necessary."

The gathered ANBU looked to one another and nodded. "All right, you're coming with us then." They pushed harshly, but the three cloud nin cooperated easily enough. Karui and Omoi grumbled, but a quick glance from Samui kept them quiet. As they walked, they did not test their restraints. If Karui or Omoi looked like they were about to cause trouble, Samui shot them a glare that could freeze flame.

When they arrived at their destination, they were flabbergasted and froze instinctively. The ANBU tried to force them to move, but Omoi turned to Karui with accusation in his eyes. "She did it, not me!" He pointed to the rough stone faces, and ANBU looked to his mysteriously freed hand. "See what you did?! That rock you threw must have done this!"

Omoi was quickly tackled to the ground by a very angry, insulted Karui. ANBU, again, looked to see mysteriously freed hands as she grabbed her male comrade by the collar and shook him violently. "You can't blame this on me! I only threw a small pebble! Pebble!" She made sure to draw the word out to force her point. She was _not_ going to be blamed for whatever had happened.

"Oh, would you two shut up!" Samui stood over her comrades, arms crossed under her chest. By this point, ANBU gave up trying to figure out how they escaped their restraints. They were already preparing to fight. Seeing their reactions, she shook her head in her palm. "You two really are hopeless! There's no way a pebble could do this!" She swept her hand to indicate the state of the entire village.

Omoi looked and blinked. After a moment of dumbfounded staring, he snapped his fingers in sudden realization. "Oh, it must have been her _Doton: Iwawaku_!" He nodded his head as if arriving at a genius realization. His latest joke only earned him a swift, powerful fist to the top of his head.

"All right you three, you're going to have to calm down. If you don't stand down, we're going to take you down." To prove their point, several more ANBU appeared and easily surrounded the three man cell from Kumo. Samui raised her arms in surrender and glared at her comrades. They slowly stood with their heads hung in shame. They mirrored her surrendered stance.

"Oh, this isn't your fault." ANBU and cloud nin alike jumped when Kakashi showed up in the center of the crowd. He lazily flipped a page in Jiraiya's last masterpiece and continued to read even as he explained the situation. "We just had a little disagreement with Akatsuki. I think you've, uh…" He paused as if gathering his thoughts. "…talked with them previously. You're here for that, right?"

The ANBU were already used to Kakashi's antics. They were only reminded once again why he was called a prodigy even among prodigies. The three man Kumo squad could only nod dumbly. They had no idea how he had gotten so close to them without even noticing. They knew the ANBU squads were there, but they wisely chose to ignore them. The silver haired shinobi appeared out of nowhere reading some hardcover as if they were nothing to him.

They got the distinct impression they _were_ nothing to him.

He stood with poise even with a seemingly lazy stance. They couldn't find any openings even without any apparent stance. To an amateur, he appeared wide open and easy pickings. They couldn't even move under a scrutinizing gaze they could only feel not see. They swallowed hard and tried not to break.

The pressure was gone as quickly as it came. Their knees buckled, but they forced themselves to remain standing. They tensed as Sharingan Kakashi approached. He pocked his book with a smile. "Yo, interim Hokage Kakashi-sama at your service." His voice was light and inviting, as if he didn't really care for honorifics. No matter how little he stood on formalities, they could tell he was serious.

They humbly bowed their heads, and Karui and Omoi wisely decided to remain silent. Samui raised her head and placed her hand over her breasts. "We are honored to meet you, Sharingan Kakashi, interim Hokage-sama. As you may be aware, Raikage-sama sent us here to gather information. We lost track of…our quarry and decided to spend some time in Konoha getting to know him."

Inwardly, Kakashi sighed. _"Timing couldn't be better. I just sent Naruto and Sakura out of the village. It'll be too traumatic to open old wounds. Besides, Tsunade-sama already agreed to give our full cooperation."_ He also knew he had some bad news to officially give them. Though, they probably already knew. "Okay, we have some other business to discuss as well. ANBU, you're dismissed."

They bowed and disappeared as quickly as they had come. Karui, Omoi, and Samui knew at least a few of them remained. They didn't mind. It was standard operating procedure. When their gracious host started walking away, they followed without being told. There was no point being rude.

* * *

Kanaeru's jaw nearly hit the forest floor. "You expect me to believe that _you_ used to be the jinchuuriki for Hachibi no Ushi?" Kira Bii nodded, confident grin adorning his features. She snickered, and his head jerked back in surprise. Soon, she erupted into hearty laughter. It wasn't long before she regained control. "Oh, good one. There's no _way_ you survived loosing Hachibi no Ushi."

Again, his expression merely changed. His confident grin morphed to a confident smirk. "Oh, that's why the Kira Bii owes that cute little miss such a huge debt! If I'd let Akatsuki get their hands on me, I'd be dead. _She's_ the reason the Kira Bii is alive, and I'm here to return the favor. If the Kira Bii can't protect her, at least accept my information."

She sighed and looked to Naruto and Momiji. The young girl was still using the blond genin as a shield, but she wasn't actually scared. She also called him 'nii-nii' upon seeing him. She scratched her head in frustration and rolled her eyes. "Well, she seems to remember you, so I'll believe you for now."

"Who said anything about her remembering me?" About to say something, she stopped at his revelation. "I don't even recognize her. I just sense that tormenting Hachibi. Every fiber in my being is telling me to run before it wakes up and decides to devour me, but I know that cute little miss has that beast under control. Nah, I doubt she remembers me at all. It's the Hachibi that remembers me."

Kanaeru crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes with a sigh. She tilted her head in thought. _"It's entirely possible. The bijuu are slow to forget, but Hachibi no Ushi should still be asleep. Maybe it's instinctual… This idiot might feel familiar, and his presence is awakening emotions."_ She shook her head and looked over his relaxed posture.

"If she doesn't remember you, why'd she call you nii-nii?" Naruto's question drew everybody's attention. Half conscious, Momiji nuzzled into his back. She seemed ready to doze off again.

Kira Bii shrugged. "Dunno. The last thing that ungrateful bijuu told the Kira Bii was 'thank you', which was a surprise. If she's just feeling what the Hachibi remembers, she might be simply expressing that gratitude."

Kanaeru sighed. "Okay, things have gotten off track enough." She eyed the former jinchuuriki warily. "The bijuu can't be removed without the jinchuuriki dying. Tell me, how did you survive? Who could possibly remove Hachibi from you without killing you? More importantly, why choose that girl?" She knew for a fact Momiji was the jinchuuriki for Hachibi no Ushi. She wanted to know how the man before her could make such outrageous claims.

He chuckled. "Are you sure you don't want the Kira Bii to accompany you, so…?"

"You're not accompanying us." She declared adamantly. She glared at him to get her point across. _"We don't want any more trouble."_ She made it obvious that she was not backing down, and he could say nothing to change her mind.

With a shrug, he decided to give her the information. "Well, the Kira Bii came here to help the cute little miss, so the Kira Bii will answer your questions. The clan that helped the Kira Bii called themselves Irikim." He closed his eyes and nodded, never noticing her look of surprise. He simply continued his tale.

* * *

Three years ago, Demons was a land stricken with poor crops. Kumo, as other villages, sent multiple teams of shinobi to help out. Also like the other villages, at least one team was dedicated to inspecting Demons for treaty violations. Kira Bii, along with his old genin squad and sensei, were assigned to look for clans or villages raising shinobi. Under the treaty and non-aggression pacts, they were required to hire shinobi from one of the great nations and never raise their own.

"Hey Kira Bii, I told you to keep up! How are we supposed to carry out our mission if you keep falling behind? Look, Yugito Nii is listening to me. Why can't you?" Their old genin sensei looked over his shoulder to see that Kira Bii had not increased his pace at all. In fact, he seemed more intent to observe what he just picked from his ear. _"Honestly, how does Raikage-sama expect me to babysit his 'precious otouto-chan'? He's just some perverted idiot."_

He turned around to see Kira Bii in his face. He tripped and tried to regain his balance. With his footing restored, he found he had instinctively taken a few steps back. As short as he was, his former genin student towered over him even as he bent at the hip disappointedly. "Eh, you were thinking negative things about the great Kira Bii again; weren't you Fugui-sensei?" He stood erect and shook his head. "Disappointing, disappointing…"

Fugui gulped. "I-I-I was doing no such thing!" He gathered himself before standing his ground. He stood straight and brought his face nearly nose-to-nose with his taller former genin student. His hazel eyes betrayed his lack of confidence, and his knees nearly buckled in fear. He was following orders, but his body was honest. _"Raikage-sama would be disappointed if I let him push me around, but he's still a monster…"_

"Che…" Kira Bii spat angrily. "Some people never change." He turned and calmly walked to catch up to his teammates. He stood especially close to Yugito Nii even though she shot him an angry glare and even kicked him when he got too close. Even still, they shared an amicable conversation and kept moving forward. It was their sensei's turn to play catch up.

When he did, he fell into step with them. He was fuming as he reset his hitai-ate on his brow. His messy, dark hair fluffed out slightly from some left over static electricity. _"Just who do those monsters think they are?! If we had our former Raikage-sama, I could discipline them as I saw fit! They serve Kumo, not the other way around. Che, Kira Bii thinks he's some hot stuff, and Yugito Nii just likes playing with people. The only normal one is their teammate, and they're slowly corrupting her!"_

Their teammate stood next to them. She walked tall and proudly without any hesitation in her steps. Her lips were slightly drawn into a smirk as she conversed with her longtime comrades. No matter what her sensei said, she still enjoyed being around them. She wore glasses high on the bridge of her nose just in front of her bright brown eyes, and her auburn hair was styled similarly to her female teammate.

Even with the short dispute between former master and apprentice, they soon arrived at their destination. Far removed from any villages of the land, the unknown, humble clan estates rested atop very fertile ground. With such a bad season of crops, many rumors floated around about the unusual occurrence. While the rest of Demons had to rely more heavily on agricultural trade, the clan living remotely from society seemed well enough off.

The first thing they observed was the clan symbol etched elegantly onto the archway. A spiral was the central pattern, but it was within a circle held aloft by wings. They felt strangely unnerved by the symbol. Kira Bii and Yugito Nii responded most strongly, even growling at the symbol and being unable to explain why when asked.

As they crossed the archway onto the compound, they were surrounded by a dozen men. Surprisingly, half of them had vibrant red hair and stunning emerald eyes. The rest were a more standard mixture. However, they had made their point. The cloud nin were unwelcome. More importantly, they revealed they had skills in the ninja arts.

"If you're here to take our harvest or negotiate for it, you can just leave now." One of the redheads stepped forth. His piercing green eyes spoke volumes for his anger. "Which village was it this time? How many times do we have to tell them that we only have enough food to feed our family, no more, no less? Besides, we have you outnumbered." He remained confident even as he inspected their hitai-ate and obvious jonin ranks.

"We are not here for your crop harvest." Fugui stepped forward, purposely pushing past Kira Bii. "We don't care how you managed to maintain fertile fields when others in Demons could not…" He paused to make his next point abundantly clear. "…unless it's in violation of the treaty between this land and the five great powers." The apparent clan leader and Kumo's representative stared each other down, waiting for one or the other to back down.

"Hmph…" The clan leader practically spat in disgust. "I'm Irikim Shintake, current head of the Irikim clan. What are your names, so I know who I'm negotiating with?" By his confidence and posture, he wasn't backing down. He stood tall over Kumo's representative and dared him to question his order-like request.

Fugui swallowed nervously. _"Monsters! They're all monsters! They act like war is just some game they can play. I'll just have to show them, for Raikage-sama!"_ He forced a smile on his face. "I'm Fugui, jonin of Kumo. These three are also jonin." He indicated them one by one as he mentioned them. "My companions are Keai…" He hesitated to continue. "…Kira Bii, and Yugito Nii. We're here to protect the treaty between our lands."

"I seriously doubt it." Shintake started. "Our clan holds and ancient vow to Demons. We remove ourselves from the affairs of the land, and, in return, we are allowed to live here freely." His angry glower only intensified as he looked over the cloud nin. "We have no business with Shinobi. Leave us. Now."

"Dear, don't be so rude to our guests." A pregnant red haired woman waddled down the stone paved path from a nearby greenhouse towards them. As she approached, she seemed to radiate calm. With exception of the clan head, the Irikim men bowed and cleared the way for her. Even humbling themselves, their guard seemed to go up. She seemed important.

"Sumire-chan, what are you doing here? The midwife would kill me if she thought I let you outside the house." He looked over her shoulder as she stopped and happily giggled in front of him. "Were you gathering medical herbs in the greenhouse again? What did I tell you? If you need something, I'll send somebody to get them."

She only giggled again and wrapped herself around his arm. "Ah, I just wanted to find you. You and the men were acting _so_ serious." She smiled happily and extracted some leaves from a pocket hidden in her sash. "I want to make some tea for everyone. It's been _so long_ since I've been allowed to!" She pouted; though, her face still betrayed merriment.

Shintake sighed. "My dearest, you are so very delicate and kind. Allow your volunteers to serve you as they promised." He shook his head and stood sternly. "You are being rude to your own family. Now, let me take you back to the house. We'll have the midwife perform her check up and leave these ninja to…"

He stopped at Sumire's equally stern look. "Must we continue this feud? Maybe, just maybe, we can alleviate their fears if we just show them some hospitality." She placed a finger over his lips to gently hush him. "I promise; I won't stress our baby too much. I'll only prepare the tea and let the volunteers serve me. Now will you grant my selfish request?"

Though he scowled, he turned to the other men and began issuing his orders. "You heard her. These ninja will be honored as guests tonight." He pointed to a group of three; one had red hair. "You prepare the onsen for our guests. We don't want to seem rude. The rest of you, keep your eyes on them." His wife clapped happily beside him. He shook his head in disbelief. _"Oh well, her inheritance is strongest among us."_

Her smile only seemed to brighten when she turned to the visiting ninja. As she looked over them, her mouth shaped an 'o' as she looked at Kira Bii and Yugito Nii. She grasped her husband by one shoulder and pulled his ear down to her tiptoe height. As she whispered something in his ear, his expression changed to one of surprise. He looked at them as if analyzing, but his expression showed no fear or hate.

Shintake gently stepped away from Sumire. She tucked a stray strand of her red hair behind her ear as she watched him walk towards the cloud nin with growing curiosity. "If you don't mind, we'd like to discuss something in private with you two." He watched them patiently for some reaction, and he seemed to acknowledge them in a way they were not used to.

Kira Bii looked to Sumire. He raised an eyebrow as he tried to figure out what she said. Whoever she was, Hachibi no Ushi was quieter than he could remember. He looked to his similarly cursed teammate. She also seemed more at ease than he could remember. "Okay…" He turned to their gracious host. "…you're got the Kira Bii's interest. Feel grateful, for the Kira Bii will see what you have to say."

Ignoring his ego, Shintake turned to Yugito. She looked accusingly to her egotistic teammate before returning her attention to the clan head. She didn't even bother looking to the disapproving glare of her former sensei. "Yeah, that'll be nice." She was also interested to see why she had felt at peace since Sumire arrived.

"You will do no such thing!" Fugui yelled scornfully. "Raikage-sama gives you too much leeway, but I will _not_ let you ruin this mission for some selfish whim." He turned angrily to Sumire. Realizing he couldn't maintain his angry glower, he instead turned his ire towards Shintake. "Kira Bii and Yugito Nii are of none of your concern. We'll talk to you as a team and negotiate to ensure the terms of the non-aggression pact have been maintained."

Shintake sighed. "I don't think you quite understand. Sumire-chan is extending a very _gracious_ invitation. You are on _Irikim_ clan grounds. Besides, it seems, to me, that you are outnumbered on the decision even among your team. Your fourth member hasn't said a word, but she's disappointed in you."

Fugui turned to Keai. She openly glared at him even as his questioning gaze demanded an answer. Without hearing what he had to say, she answered his very obvious question. "Neither Kira Bii nor Yugito Nii are the type to sell out secrets. Even hating the previous Raikage, they did as he asked." She stepped menacing closer to him. He shook slightly and tried not to back down. "You hate them, but _we_ still follow you. You can at least let them sate their curiosity."

He seethed at her defiance. Though he hated to admit it, all _three_ of his former genin students had succeeded in surpassing him. He knew Kira Bii and Yugito Nii would. They had the chakra capacity for it, and they were the village's pet monsters. Keai, though, was little more than a bookworm from a family that produced few ninja and fewer that excelled.

"With that decided…" Shintake purposely interrupted his seething, and he smirked in enjoyment when the hateful man only grew angrier and red in the face. "…you should clean up before dinner. Come, I'm sure the onsen's been prepared by now. We have volunteers to help cleanse you."

He easily turned to lead them towards the onsen. As one of the men that had intercepted the cloud nin with him separated to escort his wife back to the main house, a satisfied smirk crossed his face. Even if he had to let them into his house to sate his wife's curiosity, he got to talk down a very arrogant ninja. He looked over his shoulder when he felt one of them approach."

"Excuse me, I'm Keai. I apologize for Fugui-sensei's spiteful behavior." She glared at him for a moment before returning her attention to their gracious host. "He is embarrassing. If he hasn't insulted you too much, may I ask a question concerning something you've said?" He simply nodded, and she continued. "I noticed you said volunteers would help cleanse and cook. You look like a rich clan. Tell me, why not call them servants?"

The question didn't seem to surprise him as he continued walking at the same pace. He answered without skipping a beat. "We are not affiliated with Demons. It is difficult to hire traditional servants. Instead, we ask family members to willingly serve. They have volunteered and can cease their services at any time." He finally looked at her. "I hope my answer is acceptable."

She nodded, and he looked away. Behind them, Fugui grumbled. He didn't notice Shintake stop until he ran into him. As he rubbed his nose, he set his angry glower on the clan head. "I'm being rather gracious here. Even if you think it was merely Sumire-chan's suggestion, I'm _still_ letting you onto my clan's property. I recommend not talking about your hosts under your breath."

Left stammering, Fugui was left behind as his former student genin walked away embarrassed and shaking their heads. He remained silent until they walked into the main house. Though he felt refreshed from the onsen and wearing more luxurious dining robes than he could afford, he was still holding a grudge. Even when he saw the impressive spread, he forced a neutral expression to his face.

When he looked to his former student genin, he was disappointed to see them talking amicably and _laughing_ with the clan head's wife. On the other hand, the clan head seemed quite satisfied. Obviously, he was pleased with whatever he learned interviewing Kira Bii and Yugito Nii. _"Che, it's all so irritating. I'll make sure to tell Raikage-sama about this violation! Demons can't get away with this."_

"The Kira Bii is very impressed with the Irikim clan. I'll put in a good word for you with Raikage-sama." He ignored the hateful glare from his former sensei. "Don't trust everything Fugui-sensei threatens." He returned his former sensei's glare with equal spite. "He's on the _wrong_ side of Raikage-sama's trust. We're here to keep him straight. He's here to be thorough."

Fugui fumed, but he remained silent. If Raikage's own younger brother sided with Irikim, there was little he could do without extensive evidence. The only proof he really had was flimsy at best. A dozen members of some unknown clan snuck up on them and confidently stared them down. They acted like they could have actually won in a fight against ninja. Unless they were ninja, he highly doubted it. He also wasn't buying that they weren't affiliated with Demons somehow.

As dinner came to a close, Shintake turned to Kira Bii and Yugito Nii. "Well, have you thought about our offer?" He waited patiently as they finished chewing and wiped their mouths. His neutral expression didn't change even as they looked at each other and seemed to silently communicate. Though it always unnerved and annoyed their former sensei, the Irikim clan head didn't seem the least bit put off.

"The Kira Bii is definitely interested. We talked to Keai, and she agrees too." He pointedly eyed Fugui. "She contacted Hitohana and the rest of the Kumo no Juunihana. They've agreed." He returned his attention to the clan head. "However, I'd like to make a request." Receiving a positive nod, he continued. "Let Yugito Nii go first." Receiving a negative shake, his eyes went wide in anger. "Why not?!"

"That's not the way it works." He held up a hand to stop further complaints. He indicated the former sensei. "Since you're representing Kumo, I don't think it's fair to keep you in the dark any longer." He pulled his wife into an affectionate embrace. "Sumire noticed something I didn't when she emerged from the greenhouse. She told me Kira Bii and Yugito Nii were jinchuuriki."

Fugui stood, looking purely indignant. "You…!" He pointed to the jinchuuriki. "What did you tell them?! That's an S-rank secret! You weren't given permission to tell any outside forces! Thi-This is treason! I swear; even Raikage-sama won't be able to cover this up for you!"

"Oh, would you be quiet?" He stared at Sumire dumbfounded. "What? I can't be angry? …indignant? You've been hostile since you got here, and it's starting to wear on my last nerve! Now, your Raikage already knows what's going on. The most elite shinobi in your village already know. Tell me, how exactly are you supposed to have room to complain? Besides, _they_ didn't tell me anything. The bijuu told me."

Fugui looked questioningly to his former student genin. His hostility wasn't gone in the slightest. Each of his former student genin rolled their eyes at him. Their disappointment was palatable. Yugito Nii finally responded calmly and detached. He could tell she wasn't playing as she exuded serious calm. "We don't understand ourselves. When she brought it up, we were of course surprised. However, our bijuu seem to…like the Irikim."

"However, we did not make a hasty decision. We discussed it with Keai, already knowing your decision. You were outvoted, so we contacted Hitohana to reach a final decision." She practically growled at him as she lowered her face condescendingly. "For your information, _they_ know more about the bijuu than you do. As hateful as they are to us, they are calmer than they've ever been, and I haven't had to fight the Nibi since I got here."

Fugui sat, but a visible tick clearly defined how he felt. With the team episode over, Shintake continued. "We have agreed to take the…volatile bijuu off your hands while not hurting your military strength. We have a method of saving Kira Bii and Yugito Nii from daily torment while keeping their strength at exactly the level it is now. We can't go into details, but we have a lot of experience with jinchuuriki and bijuu."

Keai readjusted her glasses. "To be more accurate, you have more experience with bijuu than any of the great powers. You know things that should be impossible. You identified exactly how my teammates are feeling, and you even identified things they didn't even realize without thinking. No, it's almost like the bijuu are some part of your clan. You just won't say _what_ part."

Shintake just smiled and nodded. "No, you haven't earned the privilege. Though we benefit from this exchange, your Raikage actually believes Kumo benefits more. As such, you'll be our honored guests until Sumire-chan gives birth. I expect you…" He indicated Fugui. "…to follow your orders and stop investigating us." He stood, gently helping his wife up.

"Now, I have clan business to attend to. You are free to explore as you wish, but _two_ of my clan are to follow any one of you at all times. For tonight, do whatever you ninja do at night. We have training grounds for you to use, and your rooms are prepared. Sumire-chan will interview the jinchuuriki to determine the best candidate to go first."

"Excuse me." Keai spoke up politely. When attention was fixed to her, she continued. "Do you have a library? If possible, I'd like to read any scrolls you possess. Of course, I will not delve into anything you forbid me from." She politely straightened her robes and awaited the answer as the clan head deliberated.

He finally nodded his head. "Fine, I can agree to that. Your escorts will know what you can and cannot access. Now if you'll excuse me, I promised the midwife I wouldn't stress Sumire-chan." With no more questions, he left with his arm around his wife. She hummed happily as she walked beside him. All signs of her earlier ire were gone, and she even waved them goodnight.

The next morning, Sumire interviewed Kira Bii and Yugito. First, Yugito Nii saw the clan matriarch. The room was filled with laughter as they talked. They seemed to get along famously. When Kira Bii entered, he asked what they talked about. Sumire merely placed her finger over her lips and shushed him. "That's a secret between ladies."

Kira Bii rolled his eyes but let it go. As they sat and talked, he felt his chakra behave erratically. His eyes widened when he saw strangely clear chakra envelop their hostess. He stood and backed up quickly until he nearly slammed into the wall. She smiled and stayed in place. "You don't have to fear. Hachi-chan is only being friendly. He's quite attached to my precious child." She gently rubbed her swollen belly.

He blinked. "Did you just call that hateful bijuu…'Hachi-chan'?" He stared at her in disbelief. He nearly fell to his knees when he heard something like a purr from his inner thoughts. _"Did Hachibi just like being called 'Hachi-chan'?"_ He looked up again in surprise when she simply giggled.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be first." He tried to argue, but she would not suffer any arguments. "I told you before, that's not how it works. Unfortunately, Ni-chan didn't respond to my child like Hachi-chan did. You _have_ to be the one. Don't worry; we'll help Yugito Nii as we promised."

Licking his lips, Kira Bii finally agreed. He knew, _knew_ he might be chosen to go first. The interview was to determine which bijuu was best suited for the soon to be born child. With a heavy hearted sigh, he stood. "Okay, I'll abide by your decision." He chuckled. "No, I guess I don't really have a choice. I'll inform Yugito Nii of your final decision."

The next day and a half was relatively calm. Keai read to her heart's content, and she honored her promise to read only what she was allowed. Yugito Nii took the news well, and she ended up flirting with a few of the unmarried men while she wasn't practicing. Kira Bii mostly meditated and practiced his swordsmanship.

The only problems arose when Fugui repeatedly contacted Hitohana. He was obviously enraged, and he tried his best to reverse the Raikage's decision. He grew so loud and, to his former student genin, embarrassing that Keai wouldn't allow further contact after only a half dozen times.

When Sumire went into labor, the Irikim clan went into an uproar. Fugui was only as anxious because he knew what was coming, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The screams of a healthy born baby caused a new uproar. Kira Bii, Yugito Nii, and Keai even joined in the celebrations.

The healthy newborn was named Momiji, and Kira Bii was lead to a dark room lit by ancient writ. He didn't recognize the ancient glyphs, but Hachibi no Ushi seemed to. The bijuu actually seemed to squirm with excitement, and the jinchuuriki was hard pressed to contain the volatile chakra.

As runes and glyphs were painted on his body, he observed the Fuuin masters carefully paint runes and glyphs around the hours old baby and on her belly. He didn't know if he liked the idea of giving such a heavy burden to a child. He was worried she would face the same hardships he had, but he wanted to believe in the confidence of the Irikim clan.

* * *

"I don't remember much after they started the procedure. I woke up a few days later feeling a little worse for wear, but I was alive. They said I tried to resist screaming, but I couldn't resist the pain." Kira Bii spoke without his usual narcissism. "However, I didn't feel the bijuu's influence any more. For the first time in my life, I was _free_."

* * *

Please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and it only has two more months left! If you want to make your voice heard, make sure to take part! I will honor whatever the final vote says. I'm a man of my word. Also, do think to visit my forum. The link should appear in my profile. As I've neglected updating my "Writer's Block" section in my profile, I'll be adding/updating a few of my opinion words on various anime and manga. Do enjoy, and please don't kill me!

Wow, I'm getting later and later it seems... Well, the site was acting a bit weird with uploads, so that's most of the reason. My new class seems to focus on essays more than anything else, and writing essays for even normal topic discussions is time consuming. Here I was hoping it was going to concentrate on programming... Oh well, I'll get through it as best as I can.

I couldn't resist the gag section. Really, Kakashi appearing out of nowhere and making _everybody_ scared!

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,026  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

_Doton: Iwawaku_ - _Earth Release: Rockslide_: A medium-level technique, _Iwawaku_ piles up rocks from around the user and pushes them outward like a rockslide. It doubles as a defensive maneuver.

Irikim - mikiri spelled backwards, mikiri means forsake.

**EDIT:** As I said, I had problems uploading. I have absolutely no idea how one section got duplicated...


	37. Chapter 34: Great Legend

The poll has ended. Actually, it ended over three weeks ago. As promised, I'll only respond to reviews through PM and email.

As an apology for the longer than expected wait, I open with an omake!

* * *

Omake 3

Sakura sat next to Naruto straightening a pile of papers. As she tapped the edges against the wide desk, she looked to him incredulously. "Who exactly came up with this stupid idea again?"

He shushed her with a finger to his mouth and hissing breath past clenched teeth. "You don't want author-san to hear you say that! Let's just get this over with." Heaving a sigh, he returned his attention to the front."

Rolling her eyes, Sakura followed suit and put on the brightest smile she could muster. "Hello! It's been a while. While author-san enjoyed his December off, he was quite busy, and January started with some hardships. However, he came up with some kinda plan to make it up to everybody watching!"

"Sakura-chan just thinks it's stupid."

"_Now_ who doesn't want author-san to hear?!" She rapped her fingers angrily against the desk. "Anyway, this question is for Naruto here. Blame it on author-san's, um, boredom. Moving right along… Naruto, do you have a…" She heaved a heavy breath. "…zombie plan?"

"Eh, why would I have that?" He looked at her confused.

She shrugged. "I guess in case zombies ever attack Konoha…or something."

"Tut-tut-tut…" He scolded teasingly. "I've already faced something like zombies! There's no real need to fear them."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, that incident in Demons doesn't count! They weren't even zombies! You didn't have to witness the horror of watching fallen comrades rise again to fight against you."

He tilted his head to the side. "Even if some fans don't count it, we did have that…" He shook his head. "Anyway, I don't need a zombie plan. I have something more essential!" He looked around like he was paranoid before leaning in conspiratorially. "I have a Gai plan!"

Sakura stared at Naruto dumbstruck. Her jaw hung slack as she attempted to form a coherent thought. She gave up before her brain broke, tossed her pile of papers in the air, and stormed out. "I give up!"

"Tsk, troublesome…" Naruto turned to Shikamaru as the lazy genius spoke up. "What's this about a zombie plan anyway?"

"I'unno." Naruto grumbled. "I think it's pointless. Instead, I have a Gai plan to protect against Gai-sensei!"

"Gai-sensei?"

"Gai-sensei!"

Shikamaru blinked. "Again I ask; why Gai-sensei?"

"Are you kidding?! You saw what he did to fuzzy brows. Like Ero-sennin said, it's like Gai-sensei assimilated Lee or something."

_"'assimilated'? That's a big word for Naruto."_ He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Why make a plan especially for Gai-sensei though?"

Naruto closed his eyes and held up a finger as if lecturing. "Well, he had three genin students. Of those three, he successfully made one into a clone of himself. If you assume he and his clones are capable of duplicating this one in three success, then he's at least as virulent as zombies."

After a protracted silence, he opened his eyes to see the lazy genius staring at him incredulous. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, not really. It's logical enough for a b-rated horror flick. I'm just wondering when and where you learned more words out of the dictionary, and they're pretty big ones too."

"Uh, er… You really think so? I guess traveling with a world-renowned author has its perks?" He laughed nervously.

"Yeah…"

* * *

**Chapter 34:  
Great Legend  
**

While Momiji breathed and murmured lightly into Naruto's back, everybody stared dumbstruck at Kira Bii. Hinata held her hands to her face with a confused expression while everybody else openly displayed their slackened jaws. Even if the story left out a lot of detail, it seemed impossible that any Kage would simply give up the military advantage holding a contained bijuu innately gave.

"Ah, you don't believe the Kira Bii's story?" He cupped his chin and nodded. "Of course, the Kira Bii understands how unbelievable it must be." His expression set into a stern glower. "The bijuu never really got along with us. We forced them under control and fought them tooth and nail every hour of every day. The current Raikage is a passionate man, and he couldn't stand out plight."

He sighed and leaned back heavily. "Truth be told, he would rather not have to give up the bijuu. As tormenting as they were, they gave Kumo a great deal of strength. Che…" He spat distastefully. "Really, we just wanted to be free. Without letting the Raikage down, we desperately wanted to be free. The Irikim made an astounding offer, and we grabbed it. Without reducing our military strength, we could be freed from our oppressive burden."

With nobody really able to form a coherent thought, Gayt spoke for his master, and everybody else. Star floated back and forth across his collar, almost like swinging while hugging him. "What could they have offered you to maintain your military strength? The bijuu are powerful chakra entities that tower above all other known creatures in power."

Kira Bii tapped his chin in thought for a moment. "Well, no _one_ creature could match their strength; that's for sure. The Irikim knew this, of course." He smiled and nodded when Kanaeru, Shikamaru, and Hinata seemed to come to a realization. Sakura looked less puzzled than Naruto. "I see you're starting to get it. The Kira Bii still holds powerful creatures at bay, but, compared to that detestable Hachibi, my new friends are nothing."

Gayt nodded, and his armor clanked and rattled slightly in response. "The reason you recognized the true jinchuuriki was because the creatures you now contained recognized and feared them. Instinctually, they still see each other as individuals and cower before the greater power. It's similar to how Momiji-sama recognized you."

Kanaeru covered her mouth in thought. _"The more I hear…the more I want to believe. Who exactly are the Irikim? They know a lot of glyphs and seals lost to the test of time."_ She looked to Kira Bii with newfound interest. "You may be useless, but you've managed to provide some useful information."

Kira Bii smirked at her reply. "Hey, the great Kira Bii gets attacked by Akatsuki, and that's all the response I get? They even forced the great Kira Bii to go all out and waste a full eighth of my chakra on a _Bushin_ to see what they were up to." He pointed to his center chest and smiled broadly. "Perhaps this will make you grovel before the great Kira Bii and beg fealty and forgiveness!"

Expressions all around changed to disbelief as he prattled on self indulgently. "With awesome skill and foresight, the great Kira Bii managed to witness _how_ they extract the disastrous bijuu from jinchuuriki and lived to tell about it." Disbelieving expressions changed to hope and anticipation. "They drug the great Kira Bii's _Bushin_ to a dark cave and unsheathed the most uncanny of weapons."

His bravado dropped as if it was a façade. "I witnessed the method of Yugito Nii's death. That statue was the embodiment of death itself. For the rest of my life, I won't be able to remove its image from my mind. It'll haunt me as nightmares." He pulled out a piece of paper and tossed it at Kanaeru. "The great Kira Bii hopes that helps." He stood and looked to the canopy. A light chuckle escaped his throat. "You'll be avenged, Yugito…"

Before he could finish, he fell to the ground with a reverberating thud. Kanaeru stood over his prone form, fist red from exertion. Though she tried to maintain a neutral expression, her eyes were slightly widened. _"What's that?! His face is harder than that green spandex pervert!"_ She hid her pain by placing her hands on her hips. "Well, let's go!"

Before turning to take off, she barely nodded to Gayt. He nodded in reply, and Star flashed red for an instant. As she took off at full speed, everybody else followed with enough surprise to forestall complaint. They followed, not quite understanding what just happened. Only a few moments later, they finally caught up. "Hey, what was that for?" Naruto asked as he slowed his pace to match his aunt's.

"Don't you get it?" Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura looked to Shikamaru expectantly. He sighed. "She didn't want him to follow us. He finished talking and was about to ramble on about something useless. We really don't know if we can trust him. Since Sasuke was probably the one who attacked him, we can't ignore the possibility that he's out for some kind of revenge."

A ways back, Gayt watched Kira Bii easily push himself back up. They stared at each other for a few long moments before the runaway ninja stretched and loudly sighed. After a moment, he rubbed his cheek in mock pain. "That woman just can't trust anybody." He shrugged and shook his head. "Is that anyway to treat the great Kira Bii after going through all that trouble to tell a heartwarming and embarrassing story?"

Gayt stepped forward and clenched a fist. A heavy bardiche materialized, and he held it as nonthreatening as a poleax could be. He might have felt impressed at the lack of reaction from the former jinchuuriki. "We are grateful for your information, but that is it. We will ignore your presence and not report you to ANBU so long as you do not follow us."

Kira Bii held his hands up disarmingly as his face creased in a widening smirk. "Ah, the great Kira Bii has no intention of following heedlessly unwanted." He chuckled. "Though the great Kira Bii is on vacation, there is some business that only my great personage can attend to."

Gayt nodded. "Even so, I don't know that I can trust you. Even I feel something from you; though, it certainly isn't chakra. You exude menace, so I will follow my master's orders. If necessary, I'll follow after they are outside your detection range." He paused to emphasize the next point. "After all, you can't sense me, therefore you can't follow me."

Kira Bii lowered his face slightly. "The great Kira Bii always wondered what the Irikim meant when they said the new beasts were criminals. These two friends are a hassle, but they are weak compared to a previous tenant." He shrugged. "Oh well, just means the Kira Bii can't ever be caught defenseless."

There was silence for a moment. To Kira Bii, it was uncomfortable. He knew the Konoha shinobi had no reason to trust him, but he still hoped his information helped them. After a few moments, he turned north. It was practically the opposite direction they were last heading. He spoke as he looked over his shoulder. "Well, the great Kira Bii can't sense them anymore. Your master is probably waiting."

"What could make you risk life and limb to travel into potential enemy territory?" Gayt knew his surroundings well enough, and he knew the history of the Great Ninja Wars through Kanaeru. Konoha and Kumo were often at odds, and Kira Bii's northern heading lead either dangerously close to Earth or into the powerful land herself. "I'm sure your Raikage would graciously welcome you back, yet you risk that military strength you fought to maintain."

Kira Bii stopped and rubbed the back of his neck. "There are few things that could cause the population of Kumo to turn on their Raikage." He paused to look to the canopy and heave a sigh. "There are things that the great Kira Bii has to take care of. No matter how much I want to help the jinchuuriki or fight Akatsuki, there are simply more important things…"

Gayt nodded and turned. Before he could take a step, the former jinchuuriki asked one last question. "What's your name, armored warrior? What's your story?" While their backs were to one another, the silence that came after the questions wasn't uncomfortable. There was a certain understanding between them, and Star hovered above her constant companion's shoulder.

Armor clanked as he lowered his face to stare at the dirt. He released his grip on his weapon, and the bardiche disappeared into nether. Armor clanked as he straightened his stance. He looked ahead, confident and calm. "Ask me again when I remember my name. For now, I am Gayt, and my loyal companion follows me as Star. In turn, I follow the woman who saved my life."

He seemed to disappear as he ran after Kanaeru and the Konoha shinobi she had hired. Kira Bii stood still as a smile spread across his face. "Interesting." He took a step forward before pushing off and taking to the trees. "We seem to have something in common there. Interesting, very interesting!" He pushed chakra into his legs and feet and took off at full speed. He wanted to get to his destination as quickly as possible.

* * *

Karui, Omoi, and Samui stood resolute before Kakashi as he read over a scroll they handed him. He set it down with a sigh before he steepled his hands. He studied them for a moment as he drew conclusions from what he had just read. A specially designed ninjutsu for long-range communication was certainly not unheard of. However, the abilities Hitohana had went beyond such a mundane explanation.

As he leaned his chin on the perch his hands created, he had to admit the unorthodox technique certainly proved advantageous. "I can't imagine you have a simple request if you already know who killed your second-highest ranking shinobi. After all…" He eyed them accusingly. "…you feigned innocence as you pointed fingers at a man who was simply defending his home from a high-ranking official pretending to parade peace."

Samui tapped a finger against her bicep angrily. "We don't need to be reminded of that!" She grumbled at no one in particular as she gathered her thoughts. "We aren't here to argue, and this time we simply want _answers_ from that murderer. We'll leave his fate in your hands." She leaned against his desk with one hand with an accusatory glare. "Besides, Hitohana-sama explained our position."

Kakashi didn't move as he evaluated their expressions. They wanted answers they most definitely deserved, but he also had an obligation to protect Konoha's interests. "He explained his position exceptionally well. Even the Hyuuga heir Kumo insulted was willing to accept his word." They cringed, and he nodded in satisfaction. "However, you must understand my position. You don't exactly have a good track record with us when making accusations."

Samui heaved a sigh in surrender. "We aren't asking for extradition in this case. We want information from him, and I'm sure you want the same." She pointed to the scroll they handed him. "Raikage-sama willingly gave you all the evidence you need to convict that traitor, and it was Hitohana-sama's own eyes that saw the treason. You can't expect us to simply…"

Kakashi raised a hand to forestall her continued argument. "We want the same thing here, unfortunately Danzou perished in his cell." Stunned, the visiting ninja swarmed the interim Hokage's desk and bombarded him with questions. Rolling his eyes, he effectively slammed his open palms to snap them back to attention. "You've got to _listen_ to everything I have to say first."

As they quieted down and backed away, he sat back in his chair enough to lean comfortably. "We know he was working for somebody, and we're still investigating it." His one-eyed glare quieted any inquiries. "We've been piecing together what information we can, but we've run across nothing but dead ends. He's as crafty in death as he was in life."

He turned slightly to the side, taking his eyes off them. "You came here for information on Uchiha Sasuke and the man who killed Hitohana. I know how you feel, unable to accomplish one of those tasks. However, I'm still willing to cooperate as Tsunade-sama promised. We've already prepared the information you'll want." He turned back to see sobered ninja. "Now, what information did you bring to offer in exchange?"

Strangely, it was Omoi to answer. "Oh, you're going to love this!" He pulled a few scrolls out of a hidden pocket. He unfurled one as he set them down. He pointed to the information carefully written out. "You see; we've got spies set up in Akatsuki. We set up a few people to look like traitors and join the ranks." He practically smiled ear to ear.

Karui rolled her eyes and continued where her comrade left off. "None of them have been able to advance very far, but they've been scattered around to various bases. As we're sure you know, the main headquarters is in Rain." She indicated one of the other scrolls her partner put on the desk. "We've listed the bases we've been able to confirm throughout the various lands."

"The third scroll contains a list of who we believe the major players are." Samui didn't skip a beat as she easily continued. "Things may have changed due to promotions, demotions, death, or whatever else in the last few months, but we believe the information is still valuable. Raikage-sama will present a more updated list at the Shadow Council."

Kakashi looked over the information quickly. It was valuable, but some of it was simply repetition of what they'd already gleamed from Jiraiya's research. However, updated information was best. Isaribi was still getting used to his network, so she wasn't as confident in her information as she would be once fully settled in. The interim Hokage as forced to accept what he could get.

With a nod, he pushed away from his desk and stood. The visiting shinobi tensed, but they were put at ease when he gently spoke. "I'd show you the information on Uchiha Sasuke personally, but I need to prepare to leave for the Shadow Council." Without a visible signal, an ANBU wearing a bear mask appeared. "ANBU-san will show you to Ibiki. He's usually in charge of interrogations, but he's been prepped and briefed to help you. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Before they could say anything, Bear stepped between him and them. In a swirl of leaves, Sharingan Kakashi was gone. Ignoring any potential protests, Bear stepped between the visiting shinobi and towards the tent portal. He simply expected them to follow as he exited and prepared to head to Ibiki. He wasn't happy about giving village secrets to outsiders, but he understood the circumstances and would carry out orders.

* * *

The port that came to be called Minato was little more than a small fishing village before the third great ninja war. It was a seemingly unimportant village far removed from the normal hustle and bustle of Fire's economy. It provided fresh fish for some local areas, but it never interacted with Konoha. At least it never interacted with Konoha before it became a foothold for Kiri invasion.

Many legends came from an indisputable fact. A jonin named Namikaze Minato was sent to gather information on Kiri's movements in the region, and he managed to singlehandedly repel the invasion forces. His mission report was, at best, obscure. It left much to the imagination, and the people of the now central trade port tend towards the extravagant.

If one were to believe the villagers, one might believe Konoha's Fourth was capable of becoming wind and attacking from everywhere at once. Even his greatest time/space technique was never capable of such a feat, so one is often left wondering just how he managed to drive out the Kiri foothold and reclaim the small fishing village in the Fire daimyo's name.

Anther tale tells of how Konoha's Fourth parted the seas of the great bay to take away Kiri's greatest strength. Though even Konoha embellishes his greatness, he was never recognized as a Suiton user. In the same legend, he parted the seabed and dropped most of the army into an abysmal fate. Some say he commanded a great sea beast in the battle while others say he became one with the sea's anger in order to accomplish the impossible.

Whatever means he used, the end result was all that mattered. The Kiri invasion army walked away in shambles, and only a few minor skirmishes happened along the beach line border for the rest of the war. Minato went on to emblazon his shinobi record by soundly defeating Iwa after a protracted conflict.

The port of Minato grew famous and fed off of rumors and half-truths. Though embarrassed by defeat there, even Water used the location for centralized trade with Fire. The port grew and grew, and a festival-like atmosphere followed the happy denizens. The port was easily one of the biggest economical hubs in Fire, and it was _the_ place to find brokered deals between Fire and Water merchants.

It was far more of a surprise to Naruto and everybody else when the wild tales didn't live up to even a tenth of their expectations. When they arrived, the port was nearly dead. They were greeted by local authorities and told that martial law was in effect and a curfew established. As dignified ninja, they were exempt from curfew, but they were expected to follow the letter of the law.

Foreign dignitaries were expected, and they were obviously important. The authorities didn't want to risk an assassination attempt. The citizens seemed more than willing to cooperate. There were few merchants still open, and even they had their shutters closed. The only indication they were open was a bulletin posted on each door. From what the group of Konoha shinobi and their employer could tell, only the bare essentials were available.

Gayt arrived less than an hour after them. Based on how far behind he was, he should have been there sooner. Though Naruto was a bit hot at having to wait, Kanaeru had expected it. She had also expected the authorities' reaction to his sudden appearance. She calmly explained the situation, and eventually managed to defuse a potentially problematic situation.

As they ate an instant meal bought from a local vendor outside a closed restaurant, they discussed their next more. The conversation was mostly between Kanaeru and Shikamaru. The others simply watched the back and forth with varying interest. "So, are you going to tell us the next stop on our little excursion?"

"Oh, you should know better by now Shikamaru-kun." Kanaeru smiled devilishly when he rolled his eyes. She was having fun even with his lazy reactions. "I want to keep the specifics a secret for now, but the boat I chartered will take us to one little stopover before we make preparations to head directly to the little hub you'll be using as mission control. I'll be directing things from headquarters, of course."

"You're not going to tell us what our destination is?" He sighed when she simply wagged a finger at him. "Will you at least tell us what our first mission is? We might want to prepare while we're stuck at this port waiting for it to reopen."

She chuckled. "Oh, you don't need to worry about it. Your first mission is easy, and it involves infiltration and subterfuge. Preferably, you won't have to fight. As for the exact specifics, I want to leave that for the mission brief. I wouldn't want one of you rushing off to be a hero all alone." She smiled knowingly.

Shikamaru sighed and decided to drop it. He went back to eating. He knew they were heading somewhere secure. Kanaeru wasn't going to risk Naruto's safety, and she had a certain fondness for Hinata. He perfectly understood his own role, and Sakura's backup was both essential and obvious. They were a team meant for a single long term mission or series of much smaller missions.

When Sakura and Hinata looked up, he instinctively turned around. It took a moment for what they sensed to come into view, but he immediately took up a defensive position when he saw who was strolling casually towards them. He didn't recognize them, but he hadn't met too many Kiri shinobi. He looked to Naruto and Sakura to try to gather some information.

They showed no recognition. Their expressions were neutral, neither hesitant to defend from potential attack nor eager to start a fight. He turned his attention to Hinata. She was closer to Momiji, and her stance betrayed her defensive juuken to any who knew it. Finally, he turned his attention to Kanaeru, Gayt, and Star. They were relaxed, obviously expecting them to handle any potential situation.

As they approached, the lead female raised her arms disarmingly. "Whoa, we're not here to fight." She smiled charmingly and tilted her head to one side. Her maroon locks gently fell to one side as if to emphasize her lack of bloodlust. When they didn't respond the way she had hoped, she placed her hands on her hips and looked them over in mild disappointment. "I never called for Konoha shinobi to escort me."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously when her own words sunk in and set off a second meaning. "Is Konoha implying that a _kunoichi_ can't find her own way without a proper escort? I even brought two _men_ with me!" She paused and added grievances in a barely audible grumble. "Though, they're terrible with directions on the mainland, so I'm having to lead them anyway!"

"Are you crazy or something?!" Everybody looked to Naruto and his lack of tact. "We never said anything about escorting you or anything. We're just using this port to reach our next destination, and it's closed 'cause some hotshot dignitary is coming through." He pointed a thumb to the center of his chest. "They don't know who they're dealing with!"

"Oh?" The woman cooed and wrapped her arms under her bust. She bent slightly at the waist to look him in the eyes. "Aren't you a cute one? Tell me boy, who is it they don't know who they're dealing with?" She only smiled when she noted the hint of jealousy from the Hyuuga girl. She'd have her fun. She especially liked playing with young men who were full of themselves.

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be Hokage one day! Then I'll protect everybody with my power." He stood proudly with his arms crossed over his chest. Even with such a conceited statement, he simply kept his eyes closed and nodded. He was confident, and his pink haired companion palmed her face.

The woman's aura seemed to change even as she maintained her cheerful expression. "You're not saying you don't think a woman can be a Kage… Are you?"

"Eh?" Naruto looked at her confused. He tilted his head to one side expressing how odd he found the question. "Tsunade-baachan does a pretty good job. She's kind and considers everybody as best she can, but…" He paused trying to push a suddenly growing sullenness away even as he continued in a whisper. "…she pushed herself too far and got hurt real bad."

"Tsunade-baachan…" She mulled over the name as it rolled off her tongue. Her eyes widened in revelation. "You mean the great Senju Tsunade?! She's regarded as the greatest medic in the history of the shinobi world, and you call her baa-chan so casually? She's your Hokage, right?"

Naruto crossed his arms and looked away. "She expects people to show her respect, but she hides her real age behind an elaborate genjutsu." He looked down. "She's also one of the few people who saw the real me from the beginning. She really helped me out, and Konoha really needed her." He looked the woman in her green eyes. "No, I'd never say kunoichi have no place as a Kage."

The woman smirked smugly and moved a maroon lock behind her ear. "I'll tell you a secret, boy. I really like you, and I'll be more than glad to work with you once you become Hokage." She stood erect and motioned to her two escorts. "We're leaving." As she turned, she finally introduced herself. "By the way, I'm Terumii Mei, Mizukage-sama."

"Are you sure about revealing yourself, Mizukage-sama?" Her companion with an eye patch carefully voiced his concern. Though they weren't too far away from the Konoha shinobi, they had showed no signs of pursuit. The next thing he knew; he was grabbed by the collar and shaken back and forth.

"Are you implying that just because I'm a woman I can't handle myself? I'm your Mizukage, and you still doubt my abilities?!" She released him, and he fell to the ground in a boneless heap. "You can be real incensitive Ao! Just look at Choujuurou." She practically cooed his name. "He believes in me!"

"Argh, I didn't say anything like that!" Ao attempted to defend himself as he stood and dusted himself off. _"I can't keep up with this woman. One moment, she's flirting with that blond leaf, and the next she's back to flirting with the seventh sword. She's strong and capable, but it's impossible to follow how she thinks."_ He just shook his head as he kept in step with his leader and companion on the way out of the port village of Minato.

With ninja training, the Konoha shinobi saw and heard most of what happened. Naruto pointed dumbly at the scene and turned with fear lighting his eyes to his comrades. "Is she crazy or something?" Sakura, Shikamaru, and even Hinata nodded completely dumbfounded. Mei, the current Mizukage of Kiri, went off the deep end at even the slightest hint of sexism, and it was mostly in her mind.

"Ah, the port should be opening as soon as they leave." Kanaeru jubilantly clapped her hands together as she exclaimed the news joyously. _"Well, she certainly surrounds herself with some interesting bodyguards. The eye patch guy had interesting chakra, and the shy one was definitely one of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shuu. If they're here, the other Kage are probably moving to the summit as well. I'll have to prepare, then."_

"You mean _they_ were the dignitaries the authorities shut the port down for?" He turned to watch their silhouettes fade at the far end of the street. Then he turned to Kanaeru. "If they knew Kiri representatives were coming, why didn't they tell Konoha? Don't they need escorts to safely move through fire?"

His aunt shook her head. "They have prior and absolute permission. No Kage may interfere with another heading towards an agreed upon Shadow Council. If a Kage were to break the ageless ceasefire, they would only be bringing calamity to the village they are sworn to protect. It would be the start of a great ninja war, and that village would likely be ganged up on."

"That's the politics of the world, Naruto." Shikamaru lazily spoke up. "It's troublesome, but it keeps the world from tearing itself apart. There are wars. There are conflicts. In the end, they have to put up a show, so they can live peaceful lives in their own, secluded little worlds. They don't want the world to fall into chaos, so they build what order they can."

"It's the world you want to get into, kit. A fight between Kage is a fight between their villages." She looked up as they heard footsteps. The patrolling authorities politely bowed their heads and continued on. The shops in the direction they came from were showing signs of opening. "With that, we should head to the harbor. Come on."

She stood, and the rest fell into step. Momiji quickly held onto Naruto's hand and followed close to him. She watched the port trading village with wide-eyed curiosity. She had never seen a village 'waking up' in the middle of the day. On a positive note, she showed no signs of fear as she held the blond jinchuuriki's hand.

* * *

Footsteps echoed throughout the dark corridor. A large man marched along with a destination obviously in mind. He wore a black robe that trailed on the ground around him. Along the hem, red clouds identified his exulted position within the feared ranks of Akatsuki. The large sword wrapped in bandages and slung across his back identified him as none other than Kisame.

He stopped at the door at the end of the corridor. His expression was mirthful as he wore a simple smile and humor lit his eyes. He opened the door easily and looked to the single occupant. In similar robes, a man in a swirled orange mask sat in a high chair. He angrily rapped his fingers on the piece of stone furniture. He barely acknowledged his subordinate entering.

Kisame smirked as he walked up to his esteemed leader. "Mizukage-sama… Oh, should I call you Madara or Tobi instead?" He felt more than saw the glower he received and chuckled. "Ah, don't be like that. With Pein…" He paused. "…I mean, Nagato out of the way, it should be easier to accomplish your plans."

Madara sat up and leaned forward. He rested his elbows on his thighs and rested his head on tented hands. "No, it's actually a bit more difficult than that. I need to rebuild my organization, and the great shinobi nations may make a move to join forces and try crushing Akatsuki. I'm worried about the Shadow Council, but Sasuke-kun is rebelling in a way I hadn't expected. While he wants to burn Konoha to ashes, he's wants to do it to revive a _proper_ Konoha."

Kisame laughed. "He's set himself up as a proper obstacle. He's not as big a problem as Nagato; I imagine." He tilted his head to one side as a thought occurred to him. "You want to rebuild Akatsuki? What'cha have in mind? Gonna promote some promising peons out of the ranks? Nah, that isn't your style. You probably wanna get some big fish out of the Bingo Books."

Madara chuckled. "I could always trust your intuition." He leaned back in his high seat. "I wanted to go straight after the Hachibi no Ushi and Kyuubi no Kitsune, but we honestly don't have enough chakra to properly and safely seal them." He waved his hand. "Sasuke-kun has the silly notion in his head of reviving the Uchiha, and he's too preoccupied with that to efficiently hunt jinchuuriki."

"Even if it's only an exaggeration, I _was_ called a bijuu given flesh. Give the word, and I'll hunt the remaining jinchuuriki myself." He eagerly bared his fangs in anticipation of the hunt. He wanted another go at the blond jinchuuriki of the leaf. He was sure he'd have as much fun with whoever the other jinchuuriki was.

"No!" Madara pounded a fist into one arm of his chair. "Even Akatsuki hasn't been able to uncover the whereabouts of the Hachibi no Ushi. For now, I'll just use Sasuke for that. With Kumo chasing him, it's possible he can take advantage of the situation and discover some information we couldn't. Even if he can't, they'll be distracted enough for us to spread our information net."

Kisame chuckled. "You always overanalyze the situation, but that's why I've always respected you." He nodded in agreement, and his smirk broadened. He sensed there was something else left unsaid. "You _do _have a task for me, though. You didn't seek me out and make sure I was hired into Akatsuki just so I could sit around twiddling my thumbs. Ask and my sword is yours."

Leaning forward again, Madara rapped his fingers against each other. After a moment, he tented his hands in front of his face in contemplation. "It's too dangerous to stay in Rain. Our enemies know we're here now, and I doubt Konan will just quietly fade away. We need to move our headquarters, and I have the ideal location in mind. I want you to head to Void and set up some real estate. I'll have somebody in the lower ranks spread rumors that we're hunting bijuu in the area."

"You don't want anybody to think we're planning on moving in?" Kisame licked his lips in excitement. "I can play along. I hear the four warriors that guard Void are quite strong. I look forward to tasting their chakra." His smirk broadened into a full grin in anticipation.

Madara tilted his head to one side. "I also don't want anybody _investigating_. Void _will_ call for help, and help _will_ come. I need to make sure nobody interferes with Akatsuki moving into our new home. That said; you need to appear to lose. You need to _appear_ to die."

Kisame rolled his head then shoulders. With a shrug, he chuckled in amusement. "I don't like it, and I'm sure Samehade won't like it." His smirk betrayed his bloodlust. His eyes betrayed fervor for battle. "However, I think we'll both get over it. I've _dreamt_ of fighting the four warriors protecting Void." His eyes practically glazed over in a euphoric daydream.

"You'll move during the Kage summit." Madara interrupted his fantasies. "While the Kage are away at the Shadow Council, we'll have an open window to attack. Even without Kage present to make decisions, the villages will be ready to move out to help an ailing ally. Try to hold back until at least one squad arrives to witness…" He paused to appraise his words. "…your final moments."

Kisame turned and laughed the entire way out of the room. He knew he would enjoy partnering with Akatsuki, but he never imagined he'd receive such an interesting and fun assignment. The jinchuuriki were the ultimate test for any shinobi, but he was looking forward to a very different challenge.

Void was the perfect land to test his skills at. He could go all out and not worry about killing _anyone_. He was tired of holding back to keep jinchuuriki alive. Even if he respected Madara, Samehade was growing restless. He wasn't sure how long he could hold back his thirst for blood. He practically oozed killer intent as he walked down corridor and towards the exit.

* * *

Gaara stood patiently as Matsuri put the finishing touches on his formal attire. His cheeks were lightly blushed as she leaned in closely to finish tucking, buttoning, and straightening. She smirked knowingly and tried not to laugh. She was also trying hard not to tease him too much. His siblings were waiting just outside the room, and they would not tolerate any delay.

"The day's finally come, huh?" Matsuri asked with no insignificant hint of delight. He looked at her questioningly. "The five, great nations are holding a Shadow Council. They might not agree on everything, but they agree that Akatsuki is a common threat. They can't stand to see any more comrades fall, so they want to discuss their options."

He nodded. "I won't let them lay their hands on Naruto. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be where I am today. I intend to protect him as he once protected me. I intend to finally repay my debt to him, my first friend." He bowed his head. "He is the sincerest person I've ever met."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. Her smile only broadened when the reddish tint of his blush brightened ever so slightly. "You treasure your precious friends just like he treasures his. You've learned a lot from him, and I think _you're_ just as sincere. I love that about you."

Before he could respond, she finished his collar and spun him towards the door. Slightly disoriented by her sudden action, he couldn't stop her from pushing him forward. She opened the door and led the both of them into the hallway. She wasn't surprised to see Kankuro's genin along with him and Temari.

"Why can't we go, too?!" Hishu exclaimed angrily. "Temari always gets to visit Konoha to see her _boyfriend_." Kankuro stiffened at the leaked information as his sister gave him a stern look. "We're just genin. No way a bunch of Kage'll see us as any kind of threat."

Instead of scolding an obviously brash statement, Tsume chimed in to agree. "Yeah, Naruto-san might be there!" Her teammates and sensei looked at her disbelievingly for her seemingly one-track mind. "It would be a great chance for us to get out of Wind. We haven't left since that C-rank mission.

Mori shook his head. He couldn't believe he was agreeing with his teammates, but he was as anxious to get out Wind as they were. "I think we're ready for greater responsibility. It's not like we'll be a burden. Kazekage-sama shouldn't be attacked, and we can just hide in the background."

Matsuri gently shook her head as she knelt down to scold the genin. "It's not like that, and you know it. Kazekage-sama can only have two escorts, and it's just common courtesy to take two high-ranked shinobi with the proper security clearance. To the other Kage, it would be rude and a show of bad taste to bring you along."

Tsume was about to protest, but Matsuri gently placed a hand on her head. "Now, now, don't complain. You have a new friend to play with, and you _might_ just get a mission to help escort very important dignitaries home." She smiled at the pressure Gaara's harsh glare put on her. "I can't promise anything. They are quite capable, but I might just get bored waiting for my precious Gaara."

"Matsuri, please don't overstep your bounds while I'm gone…" She smiled sweetly to her husband as he spoke. He closed his eyes and shook his head. She was different from the timid kunoichi he first trained. She became strong and capable, and she pushed him to do the same everyday. She would do what was needed and interpret as she wanted.

Still unable to show his affections for her in public, he gently smiled at her before turning to his siblings. "It's time to go." He turned, and the three of them simply seemed to disappear. Kankuro's genin sighed in a bit of disappointment, and Matsuri clutched the fabric over her heart with a prayer for her beloved's safety.

* * *

Naruto watched his aunt as she talked business with the captain of a small charter ship. Though small for a passenger class, it still looked comfortable for their party. He noted that they seemed to know each other. He guessed she did business with him a lot. She seemed well traveled to him, and she had a lot of contacts.

When he first discovered she was his aunt, he didn't know what exactly he expected her to be like. He hadn't expected to meet any family. There were no Uzumaki in Konoha, and even his travels with Jiraiya never revealed such a clan name. As soon as she came into his life, he found out that most of the adults he knew and/or trusted knew, at least, _of_ her.

Worse, Jiraiya knew she was alive. The sensei he felt an unusually strong connection to had kept her existence a secret. He didn't even know if he had any more family. His own aunt revealed little about his clan. Even as he watched her playfully punch the captain, he had to sigh in revelation.

No, he had denied her the opportunity. Though he immediately shut down from a sense of information overload, he withdrew and didn't let anybody close to him. A part of him wanted desperately to reach out to and trust her. A part of him desperately wanted to be near and draw comfort from somebody, anybody.

He leaned back and looked to a passing cloud. He understood why Shikamaru liked cloud gazing. It was a chance to think. It was a chance to daydream. He was forced to realize something else. He didn't want comforting gestures and words from _anybody_. He was realizing more and more that he saw Hinata were he once only saw Sakura and later Sasuke as well.

Kanaeru and Hinata were quickly becoming powerful forces in his life. One suddenly showed up in his life and enjoyed turning it on his ears. The other slowly evolved in his eyes and was as precious to him as any of his friends. He didn't have to seek or earn acceptance in their eyes. Though they treated him differently, they both cared deeply for him.

The clouds high above seemed to morph with is thoughts. He saw Hinata standing definitely before the last body of Pein Rikudou. Her eyes full of defiance. She was confident even as she was prepared for certain death. She wasn't the timid girl who seemed so helpless when he saw her at the chunin exam. She was more than the proud failure her cousin couldn't keep from getting back up.

"Hey, Naruto!" He was drawn from his musings when Kanaeru shouted his name. He looked at her in a half daze. "Stop daydreaming and hurry up. The ship won't wait all day for us!" He looked down to see Momiji tugging his arm. They were both worried about him. He looked up to see worried expressions on Hinata and Sakura's faces. Shikamaru was curious.

Shaking his head, he forced his mind out of his dazed state. He grabbed Momiji's hand gently and let her lead the way. They hurried to catch up and board the charter ship. They were quickly underway, and they still didn't know where they were heading. For trained ninja, it wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last time. They were always prepared for unusual requests from clients.

For Momiji however, the sight of a vast open ocean was a first. She was excited and could hardly stop squirming. She dragged Naruto around and constantly asked questions. She openly marveled at his explanations and wild exaggerations. Hinata giggled in the background while Sakura returned the young girl's expectations to ground level. Shikamaru found a comfortable hole to watch clouds from.

Kanaeru stood from the captain's cabin and watched as Naruto explained water walking techniques. Even from her vantage, it was obvious the child didn't understand. Still, she convinced him to take her out on the water. She smiled demurely as she watched them walk alongside the charter ship. She absently pondered if she had missed a similar experience with her nephew as Momiji marveled at the passing sea life.

"Kids grow up so fast. You don't even get the chance to notice." The captain spoke gruffly. When she turned to face him, he indicated the blond walking on water to entertain the red head. "They fight to gain independence, but they are forced to realize they rely too much on human affection. If you realize this before your old and weary, you might not be calling the things around you family and life."

"Heh, is that some old sea wisdom?" She turned back to watch her nephew and, for better or worse, adopted daughter. He really had a way with children, and he was having as much fun as his piggyback passenger.

"Nah, it's just something a stupid, old man was forced to realize." He smiled as she turned to face him again. "Don't let the opportunity slip out of reach. If you're troubled, just find some common ground."

With a chuckle, she turned away once more. "I already know that…" She wanted to close the gap between them, but she knew she had to wait for her sister's son to sort out his own feelings. She couldn't interfere or else risk irreparable damage. The one thing she feared most was losing her precious, last connection to her sister and foolish brother-in-law once and for all.

The hours passed as the charter ship cut through the open seas. Though Kanaeru and Naruto didn't try to keep their distances from each other, they were kept occupied and separate. Naruto played with Momiji and managed to wrap the rest of his friends in games of tag, hide-and-seek, or anything else from her imagination. Kanaeru either studied scrolls from one of the quest quarters or watched from the captain's cabin.

A few days of travel and plenty of rest and relaxation was rewarded with a unique sight. Though Hinata was nervous being so close to Lightning territory, they were all impressed by the massive statue guarding the port. Naruto was reminded of the Valley of the End, but the figure also held a scroll. It was truly an intimidating sight to see one of the famous guardians of Void.

When they landed, the captain collected the fare and thanked them for their business. As he left to find new passengers, Kanaeru led them in the opposite direction. As ninja, everybody but Momiji was used to rapid travel. The young red head again rode Naruto piggyback. She was asleep before they left the small port village.

"Sorry guys, no time for sight seeing." Kanaeru apologized as they rushed through the countryside. "Well pass two more guardians on our way, but we won't have a chance to see them. We'll get a good close-up view of the fourth as we leave the next port. Once we're on out on the sea again, we'll be on our way to our real destination. It's a bit roundabout, but it's the fastest way and avoids a few headaches."

"What kind of headaches?" Sakura spoke up in curiosity. As the team medic, she naturally wanted to know about any dangers they might run across. It was her responsibility to heal them as needed, but she was also partly responsible for helping them avoid as much danger as possible.

"Oh, mostly diplomatic stuff." Kanaeru chuckled. "I made a few promises to people I don't really want to see right now. Even if they understand, they might not be quite willing to accept everything I told them as it stands. For now, just trust me that it's _not_ worth digging into. Political stuff is so _boring_."

Shikamaru sighed. "Still, it's best to know if it affects the team." His lazy expression turned stern. "I won't accept going into a mission blind. We're in Void, too close to Kumo to be comfortable. We also have reason to believe factions Oto may still be operating, and they were centered nearby."

Kanaeru smirked. "Do you know Void never saw battle during the great ninja wars?" Unprepared for an unusual question to be used to answer, the Konoha shinobi shook their heads. "The legends of the great guardians aren't just legends. Even if opposing armies met on this land, they'd retreat to their respective positions. As long as they showed no hostility, the guardians wouldn't awaken."

Shikamaru shook his head. "You're using the legend to cover your trail. You may be on good terms with whoever you're avoiding, but you can certainly be sneaky." He glanced towards Naruto. _"Well, at least now I know we're safe. If Isaribi's information is anything to go by, she's probably just avoiding running in with Iwa."_ He turned his attention to Hinata. _"She's also managed to calm down Hinata. Kumo's just too close for comfort."_

Kanaeru was right, of course. They weren't bothered the entire way through Void. They were quickly able to charter a boat in the next port they visited. The captain was obviously ninja. They couldn't tell if he was still in the profession or retired, however. It really didn't matter to them because they were off to wherever Kanaeru was interested in keeping a secret for as long as possible.

* * *

I had actually intended to release this chapter right before December. Unfortunately, fatigue obviously showed in what I initially wrote up. Instead of releasing something so obviously half-hearted, I started over and decided to actually take the month off. I do hope you enjoy the effort.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,017  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms and Jutsu:**

Minato actually translate to harbor or port. The irony is that Port Minato is redundant! Oh, and yes...I do think up background stories to literally everything...

Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shuu - Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist_  
_


	38. Chapter 35: It's All Relative

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated! Seriously though, school took up a lot more time than I was expecting. Thankfully, I was actually able to write [at least] partial games. One was a _Fallout 3_ mod (video link in my profile). The other was an original game I'm still working on and hope to release to the public in the near future. Happily, I earned my Bachelor's degree, with Summa Cum Laude to boot! Anyway, on with the show! Don't be too disappointed with the first section...**

* * *

Chapter 35:  
It's All Relative**

Sailors often describe treks across the vast and open seas as chaotic journeys, struggling against nature. A ninja of the seas is feared for conquering the great beast that would just as soon consume those treading across its surface. Even the great ninja of the mist respect dedication to naval life. Though they often use the great waterways, they spend most of their times on land, no matter how great or small.

Waves crashed against the small boat, threatening to send it to the depths. The great storm started just hours after they left port, and the brave ninja of the leaf were forced to batten down below deck. Momiji held close to whoever was closest. Though she obviously preferred Naruto's presence, she was forced to acquiesce whenever he was forced to leave for watch or other duties.

The seas only grew worse, and the captain of the small vessel never hesitated. He knew the waters in which he sailed, and he understood the waters enough to avoid the worst of it. More than once, they passed close enough to strong undersea currents to feel the undeniable tidal pull. It was little surprise to learn the gulf they sailed was often called, mostly by fearful amateurs, the _Abyss of Man_.

The few days at sea were hard on the young ninja. Though they easily found sleep when it was required, Momiji only found such solace in the arms of someone trusted, usually Naruto, and extreme fatigue. She was not used to the tossing and rolling of relentless waves. The previous voyage to Void was not nearly as harrowing. Still, she felt safer and slept easier among people who treated her lovingly, like only her family and Shion before.

It was lunchtime of the third day when Kanaeru announced that they had entered the _Maw of the Abyss_. The waters were as uninviting as their nickname implied. Massive tidal forces formed whirlpools, short-lived or not. She also announced they were close to their destination. For the next several hours, the only one permitted on the upper deck was the vessel's captain, and he was housed in the captain's cabin.

The sun was setting as they landed, and the Konoha shinobi were grateful to feel land beneath their feet once more. Once disembarked, Naruto took a moment to take in the scenery. With the sun behind him, he could see the vast sea spread before him, even if mist obscured the grand visage. It was tinged orange as the sun hovered above the horizon. The scene was hypnotic, and colors splashed the landscape like a painting.

"Ah, it's good to be back!" Kanaeru stretched happily, and Naruto snapped out of his daze. As he looked around, he noticed the captain and his ship had already departed, and a heavy fog veiled the landmass. His aunt walked up to him and grasped his shoulders with a familiar smirk upon her lips. "_You_ are going to enjoy this!"

She released him and turned without explaining. Perplexed, he looked to his friends. They shrugged before quickly falling into step. Naruto tilted his head before picking Momiji up and following. He looked over his shoulder to make sure their armor-clad companion also followed. He didn't have to wait, and a young girl's yawn forced his attention forward. He didn't feel like making Momiji sleep on his back rather than a warm futon or bed.

"The official story is: Whirlpools was destroyed in a massive invasion." Kanaeru started without preamble. "There are certainly a lot of rumors circulating as to the reasons why, but there are few, hard facts. What would propel a staunch ally to invade a small land with few exportable resources and fewer accessible waterways?"

Naruto looked to his friends, and his gaze lingered on Shikamaru to see if his intelligent ally had any questions of his own. If he had any, he was surprisingly keeping them hidden, and his expression settled to a narrow, suspicious gaze. The blond genin, not enjoying the silence, decided to speak up. "There was something else they were after, so they were willing to risk little to no gain for the cost." His answer almost sounded like a question.

"Bingo!" Kanaeru blurted out gleefully. "Whirlpools has always been home to the Uzumaki clan, and there was one resource Earth vaunted over the other shinobi nations." Though curious over her word choice, the Konoha shinobi remained silent and allowed her to continue. "They had a closer relationship with Whirlpools and the Uzumaki than the other four great nations."

"Now, Whirlpools maintained a non-aggression pact with all five shinobi nations, but it was easier for Iwa to plan joint operations with the ninja of Whirlpools." She turned and started walking backwards. "Now, I'm sure you think this is all beside the point, but it's building up to the shrouded mystery. Why did Earth attack Whirlpools?" She paused to take a deep breath.

"When the last great ninja war started, the five great nations were expecting hostages from non-aggression lands. Earth expected more, however. They expected the heir of the Uzumaki clan. They were surprised and insulted when that heir, and her imouto, was sent to Fire instead. The bigger insult came, however, when that heir married the soon-to-be Hokage."

"Wait! You're talking about kaa-san and tou-san; aren't you?" Naruto blurted out, wide-eyed with curiosity. He stumbled for his next words, even as the question was clear in his head. "Wha-What was she heir to? Was Earth against her marriage?"

Despite the tone of the story, Kanaeru's smile only widened, and she continued in a chipper tone. "Patience my young Naruto-kun; I'm just getting to the best part." The Konoha shinobi looked at each other warily. Naruto's aunt was speaking of betrayal, but her tone befitted something altogether different.

"They had their legitimate concerns, of course. They thought the marriage would go against the non-aggression pact, but love is love. Kushina-nee and Minato-nii were in love, and they weren't letting the rhetoric of politicians get in their way." She took a deep breath and prepared for something unpleasant. Her face twitched at a bad memory, and she looked ready to spit on some evil or the wrongdoer who committed it.

"Fifteen years ago, our world was thrown into turmoil by two facts. One, Akatsuki was on the move again under the banner of an unknown leader. Two, they boldly moved against the Uzumaki clan heir. We were ready to go to war over our loss when Earth stepped in." She paused and turned back around, marching forward with determination. She was _not_ going to show her emotions.

"The world of ninjas is filled with deceit and lies. You never know whom you can trust, and you can feel falsely emboldened when you know, in plain black and white, who your enemies are. Whirlpools was set to take on Akatsuki and avenge the loss of family once again. We were blinded by rage and no small amount of guilt." She wiped a tear that threatened to blaze a hot trail down her cheek.

"The _official_ story is that Earth felt it was their chance to strike back against the insults we burdened them with. They didn't want to be seen as weak because such a small land defied them. Before Akatsuki could make their move, Whirlpools was crushed under the mighty shinobi army of Iwa."

Shikamaru finally spoke up. "That's not what happened." Everybody looked at him in wonder, except Kanaeru and, surprisingly, Naruto. The intelligent ninja took note of that fact. "The lands remained staunch allies even through political maneuvers. Perhaps Kushina and even Minato-sama helped, but they saw a hidden threat that Whirlpools missed in rage and grief."

"Akatsuki was going to attack Whirlpools, too." As Naruto took over, Sakura looked at him in amazement. Shikamaru already guessed he might have figured it out, and Hinata, too, had noticed the gears in his head turning. "I guess everybody thinks Iwa destroyed Whirlpools because they suggested that cover story." He looked at his friends. "In spite of how much I detested his lechery, Ero-sennin made me read his books. Something similar happened in one of his earliest best sellers."

His explaination seemed reasonable enough, but Sakura was forced to think differently of her teammate and friend. She imagined more and more what kind of person he would have been if he were not seen as a monster in the academy. If more teachers than Iruka had noticed his potential, would he have been as good at analyzing situations as Neji or even Shikamaru? He was better than anybody she knew at reading people, but he was also easy to play, when he was younger at least, because he didn't seem able to hide his emotions.

Attention returned to Kanaeru as she continued. "Well, I guess you'll find out soon enough." She closed her eyes and tilted her head to one side as she shrugged casually. They hadn't realized it, but she turned to face them and stopped at some point. Instinctively, they had also stopped. Some distance behind her, shadows tried to peek out through the fog. Though they couldn't tell what they belonged to, they seemed too structured to be natural.

Before they could figure out what they saw in the distance, Naruto and Hinata took on defensive stances. Shikamaru and Sakura responded quickly in response. Before they could move, Kanaeru was flanked by unknown ninja. Instead of bearing arms against her, they lowered long spears on the Konoha shinobi. They were prepared to fight back when Gayt stepped between the two groups poised to fight.

"Kanaeru-sama…" The guard to her right started. The left side of his face was almost completely covered in burn scars, and his scalp was covered with a solid blue bandana. He was fairly tall, and his grey camouflage blended in nicely with the mist. "…why are these foreigners with you? They haven't harmed you; have they?"

"Why would we…?" Gayt stopped Naruto before he could continue. The young blond looked at him in confusion, but the armored man only continued to stand between the Konoha shinobi and their client. He didn't understand why his aunt had to defend her right to bring him along with her. He wanted to know more, and he wanted to defend his honor.

Kanaeru sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's okay to just call me Kanaeru." She crossed her arms and took a relaxed and slightly annoyed stance.

"That would be improper, Kanaeru-sama." The second guard responded. He was much taller, easily as tall as Gayt, and the latter wore armor. He hid most of his face behind an ANBU-like mask. His clothing was decidedly earthen colored, so he did not blend in as well to the mist. "You should know that bringing anybody here is highly unorthodox, and won't be looked upon kindly."

She only chuckled in response before patting him on the shoulder. "You guys can show Naruto-kun some good, old-fashioned Whirlpools hospitality." Their attention was drawn where she indicated, the blond genin. He chuckled nervously as she continued. "Besides, I'm sponsoring a few clients and their missions. I promised them a good, central headquarters from which to work." She winked happily at the masked guard.

"Ka-Kanaeru-sama!" The masked guard started flustered. "It is highly improper to bring outsiders without permission from the taichou." He managed to bring his breathing under control before he finished.

The scarred guard shook his head and loosened his stance. Heaving a sigh, he stepped forward. "Even if he is who you say he is, the taichou won't allow his friends into the village."

"Oh please, let me deal with tou." Her back stiffened as a large shadow materialized behind her. Her confident demeanor slipped, and her expression was replaced with a nervous smile. "Oh, hi tou…" He seemed to simply tilt his head down to gaze at her, but her body language immediately changed. She grew solemn and politely, stiffly bowed. "Greetings otou-sama; I have returned from Konoha."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in an attempt to identify the large man. If he was his aunt's father, he was also his own grandfather. Kyuubi's internal pacing wasn't helping the weight of his emotions any, either. When the powerful man's visage was fully visible, Naruto thought his jaw would drop off. He was _very_ familiar, and he had to force the bile from rising in his throat.

The man was certainly a commanding figure. He was deserving of his honorific in appearance and demeanor. His stony gaze reduced his daughter to humility in an instant. His hair was dull red. The only reminder of his mane's once vibrant color was the highlight near the roots. Besides a few wrinkles, only a few grey streaks of hair on his sides betrayed his aging. Strangely, his eyes were nearly blood red. The outer rings of his irises were brilliant emerald.

When his stern expression turned towards the Konoha shinobi, they froze. He concentrated on one in particular, of course. He carefully scrutinized his eldest daughter's first and only born. His poisoned gaze seemed to look past him, however, into his soul. It was disconcerting, but, to Naruto, similarities to the male human-form Kyuubi seemed more important.

The man seemed to finish his investigation, and he turned his back on his grandson. In the same instant, the tumultuous emotions he felt coming from the Kyuubi no Kitsune finally settled on one. The great beast he had feared for so long was speechless in dread. She feared reprisal, and he could clearly feel her trembling chakra. It was an uneasy feeling.

The only sign of emotion on his face as he studied his younger daughter's face was a twitch of his lip. "Send them back to Konoha." His statement was simple and filled with finality. He seemed devoid of emotion, and the guards lowered their spears in preparation.

"But, tou…" Kanaeru started. The harsh glare she received caused her to flinch. She took a calming breath before continuing. "Otou-sama, they've come a long way to take care of some missions. I'm personally sponsoring them, and they need a headquarters much closer than Konoha to handle them." She licked her lips and prepared her next words carefully. "We must also recognize that Akatsuki has stepped up operations again."

"By bringing them here, you have endangered us all." He betrayed no emotion as he berated his child. As leader, he was as concerned with the safety of his village as his family. "We don't know what Akatsuki knows, and _we do not know_…" He punctuated each word. "…how well informed their information network is. If they discover the route you took, they may discover a connection we cannot risk them uncovering."

Kanaeru sighed. Arguing was going to prove difficult, but she came prepared. "Otou-sama, look at Naruto-kun again." With a gentle shake of his head, he obliged. "Do you notice anything significant?" She was hoping he would notice without directly pointing it out. She crossed her arms as she waited.

Naruto felt uncomfortable as he was, once again, carefully scrutinized. The powerful leader shook his head after a few moments and looked over his shoulder to his daughter. She merely pushed her hands forward as if to tell him to go on. Shaking his head once more, he continued scrutinizing. After several moments, his eyes fell on Momiji.

At first, he tried to ignore the strange feeling his gut was giving him. She shrunk from him as the feeling grew to a drumbeat in his head. He didn't know why she seemed familiar, but something in his memory sparked. Naruto protectively intervened between the two, but the elder ignored the behavior in favor of dismissing the sudden curiosity. Then, it struck him.

"She can't be…" He stood erect and turned to his daughter. "She's in more danger here." He paused in momentary disbelief. "You should know this better than anybody." He barely maintained a calm demeanor. He was obviously keeping his temper in check. A flicker of red chakra, however, did not escape the gaze of the Konoha shinobi.

Kanaeru took a deep breath. "If I thought she would be in any danger here, I would _not_ have brought her, otou-sama. In fact, she's safer here than in Demons. Even though her adopted mother is Shion-dono, we cannot trust that information would not eventually leak. I couldn't leave her in Konoha, either, because I'm certain Akatsuki make another push there very soon."

The elder looked down and scratched his chin as his younger daughter continued. "They _know_ Naruto-kun in a jinchuriki." She took a deep breath. "…and Momo-chan used her biju's chakra. Though the puppet leader was defeated, Akatsuki is most certainly _not_ out. If any other members were nearby observing, they'd know _two_ jinchuriki are in Konoha, or at least were. Moving them is the safest option. Besides, what could it hurt to let Naruto-kun train with a few interesting missions?"

"The puppet leader was defeated?" The village leader only needed to see his daughter bob her head. He did not sternly demand a proper answer; he was only interested in the information and how it benefited the village. "He was powerful, so his loss must be a blow to Akatsuki. They either won't make a big move immediately or they'll place their bets on taking advantage of whatever damage the puppet left in his wake." He sighed. "Surprisingly, I'm forced to rescind my previous order."

He raised his hand to signal his guards. They bowed and returned to their posts. They did not question his change in orders. They understood the logic well enough, and they trusted their leader to make the right decision. Once they were out of earshot, he continued. "As you all should know, I'm the current leader of Whirlpools, and I'm directly related to Kanaeru and Naruto. My name is Uzumaki Taketo. Now, I wasn't expecting this opportunity so soon, but I'd like you to join us for a formal meal."

Before the Konoha shinobi, and an elated Naruto, could speak up, Kanaeru interjected. "Uh, actually otou-sama…" He looked at her curiously. "They…should really be leaving for their first mission." He gave her a stern look, but she nervously continued. "It'll be fine once they get back, butI _really_ have to make sure all the, uh, preparations are in order."

He narrowed his eyes with obvious disappointment. She responded with a nervous chuckle as she scratched the back of her head. With a light sigh, he decided to simply ask her later. "Very well, but they can at least rest and prepare for the mission ahead. They might not have time for a formal meal, but they shouldn't leave without at least something adequate to fill their bellies."

Kanaeru couldn't argue with her father. She hadn't briefed Shikamaru on the mission details yet, and she was sure he wanted to look over the file before committing time and resources to it. She also wanted to share some details on the client. She was helping sponsor him, after all. She also wanted to give Momiji a chance to acclimate to the new environment while Naruto was still in Whirlpools, no matter how short.

Of course, Naruto's aunt understood why the young girl was as attached to the knucklehead as she was. He was kind and easy to approach. He befriended everybody, and he was openly warm. She recognized the gentle aspects about him, and she was drawn to them. She was drawn to similar qualities, and he seemed to rub off on people. She was attached to Shion because Naruto reopened her heart to people, and her warmth radiated much the same way.

Kanaeru could only hope Momiji wouldn't shut herself off when he left. It was hard to find the warmth he openly gave off. As they entered the village through humble gates, she worried about how corrosive despondent souls might be. Whirlpools hadn't had reason to celebrate since Naruto was born. In fact, they mourned the death of the beloved Kushina the same day they celebrated the birth of her son. It wasn't even long after they received the news that they were forced to make a tough choice to fade from his life.

She was also worried about Naruto. In less than a month, he had discovered more blood relatives than in the previous almost sixteen years of his life. He was overwhelmed not long ago in Konoha when she told him she was his aunt. She could only hope he took meeting his grandfather much better. She didn't want him to lose his ability to trust.

* * *

It was twenty-seven years ago when a land north of Earth revolted against its daimyo. It was not the first time the land experienced political upheaval. The first daimyo came to power in a bloody revolution long before the shinobi lands were formed. The land, Old Tree, was ancient compared to its neighbors. While clans and factions fought for domination, Old Tree strengthened its economic power and influence.

Before ninja existed, warring factions used Old Tree as neutral territory to buy resources, food, weapons, and alliances. The land saw great growth and prosperity. The population boomed, and they had little to fear from the violence outside their borders.

Once the ninja world was established, their resources and weapons lost value. They watched as ninja used jutsu to forge mighty weapons that far surpassed their workmanship. With economic prowess, they managed to stay neutral territory where at least food and alliances were traded.

Old Tree could not maintain a neutral stance forever, however. While many clans were content to leave the land be, some grew drunk on their newfound power. At some point, war broke out between Old Tree and the more volatile factions. In that time of crisis, a merchant discovered a means to draw them to his side; he unearthed a rare and valuable crystal that, when properly refined, enhanced chakra-based jutsu. He became the land's first daimyo after he led several factions in violent revolt over the government of the time.

Even with the rare crystal, the economic boom in shinobi nations sounded Old Tree's decline from prominence. The citizens lived in fear of border skirmishes as their main trade export slowly dried up. As any desperate power, it was soon forced to find new products. Under the daimyo in power around the first great ninja war, Old Tree once again became a center for economic power. Seemingly overnight, the land could afford hordes of mercenaries and rogue ninja.

The Konoha shinobi did not understand the need for a history lesson as their client explained the political and economic turmoil of his land. Their client, Gavin Marshall, leaned back in his chair as he continued. "I'm proud of the strides we've managed to make in the last twenty-seven years, but we still haven't brought all our criminals to justice. People just can't rest easy."

Though his name sounded odd to them, they accepted him for who he was. He was a well-respected man within Old Tree. His official political capacity was something like chief judicial officer. He also held a strong belief in bringing criminals to justice, and he held a strong passion for history. He was in his early forties, and his compassion laced his voice.

His auburn hair was receding, and his similar colored eyes showed the weight of years. He was admittedly pudgy, and he seemed to prefer pacing to sitting. He only sat near the end of his history lesson to pull out a file folder on their target. He propped his feet up on his desk as he explained the situation. "Watanabe Junichi was one of the former daimyo's top economic advisors, and he's wanted for multiple crimes."

Shikamaru flipped through the pages in the file. He ignored Naruto and Sakura looking over his shoulder and absently wondered if Hinata was using her doujutsu to read the target's information. "Well, he's not the friendly sort." He lazily started. He set the file down and shrugged as he dug for more information. "I can see why he's troublesome, but what do you need ninja for?"

Gavin set his feet on the floor and leaned on his desk. He hated sitting still, and his feet tapped in protest. The nervous tic did not go unnoticed. "Junichi's always one step ahead of us. We don't know how he does it, but he's always prepared when we think we're ready to move in. We gather a police force; he hires mercenaries with no qualms about killing. We gather mercenaries; he hires ninja to wipe them out before they even get close."

He sighed and shook his head. "Besides, he's still got economic power. He pays off politicians where and when he can, and he always makes sure witnesses 'go missing' before we can gather evidence. I fought and scraped for the budget to hire ninja, and, this time, I know what information he has."

"Wait…" Sakura started. "…you mean he _knows_ we're coming?" Their client only nodded. "Then what's the point of hiring us?" She restrained herself from punching through his desk or wall. It was hard enough to contain her voice from screaming.

"That's why I asked you to come today. He thinks we've hired a two-man cell, and, frankly, our budget could only really afford that. I had to get sponsors to cover the rest _without_ actually borrowing any money. If we borrowed money, he'd grow suspicious. Instead, we managed to contain and control information this time."

"Oh-ho, so we have the numbers advantage!" Naruto pumped his fist. "All right, we can storm his compound, and he won't know what's coming!"

"It's not that simple." While Naruto looked disappointed, Shikamaru seemed to expect the addendum. Gavin continued. "We need evidence. We need to put Junichi away, and we need the public to feel confident in our ability to hold onto him or execute him." He paused and leaned back. "Tomorrow, he's holding interviews to hire a couple of rogues. We have several advantages, actually."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, rogues are like mercenaries. The highest bidder can buy them. Junichi also isn't expecting to see a four-man cell. You've managed to secure both the element of surprise and information. So, let's hear your plan."

* * *

"Argh, where are they?" Naruto angrily stamped his foot. He was irritated, and the quiet of the forest just seemed wrong. He also didn't know if he liked Gavin's plan or not. He was sure their client knew what he was doing, but it wasn't his style.

"I'm sure they're all right, Naruto-kun." Hinata tried reassuring him. Even she was growing nervous. They hadn't seen Sakura or Shikamaru in a while, and she couldn't help but worry. At the same time, she sensed something else eating at the blond jinchuuriki. "You've been on edge ever since we left Whirlpools. What's wrong?"

He sighed. The Hyuuga were just too perceptive. He looked to the canopy. "I don't know, Hinata-chan. I'm just… I just don't know." He was finding it difficult to express himself in words. He felt he wanted to tell her, but he was too confused to voice what he was feeling. He felt an upheaval of emotions, both positive and negative. Kyuubi wasn't helping with his…her…its chakra churning.

Hinata was about to continue, but Naruto interrupted. "I have family, Hinata-chan." He blinked and shook his head. "I have family, and they don't hate me." He looked at her, not quite in control of his feelings. "As strange as it sounds, they protected me by _not_ being there." He paused, casting his gaze as if looking for an answer. "Even after I knew what was sealed up inside of me, I never even _considered_ it. As Akatsuki was chasing me, I never imagined how dangerous it would be to be related to me."

He shook his head and licked his lips. "Worse, now I realize just how dangerous it is." He heaved a sigh and returned his gaze to the canopy. "It's a wonder Shikamaru doesn't hate me. Asuma-sensei _died_ to protect me." Naruto closed his eyes before meeting Hinata's worried look. "People have died, so I could…" He paused in aggravation as he searched for the right words. "…continue forward."

"Sometimes…" She started, not quite sure what to say. "Sometimes it's hard to continue forward." She wasn't sure what to say, but something about his presence, his eyes that she always loved, drove her forward. "Asuma-sensei was protecting the village, and he died with no regrets. Shikamaru doesn't hate you. He took Asuma's fire." She smiled remembering his perception. "You've seen it; haven't you? As long as the fire lives on, he's a part of Konoha, and he never really dies."

"Do you believe that, Hinata-chan?" She smiled and nodded in response to his simple question. "How?" She blinked in surprise. "You almost died!" He paused and turned around. A half-step away, he pulled at his hair and continued. "Kanaeru almost died. Tsunade-baachan's in a coma, and Konoha is in ruins!" He turned back around. "You almost died, Hinata! How can you _not_ blame me?"

She smiled and took a step forward. Instinctively, he flinched. She paused for an instant and took another step forward. Tentatively, she reached out with one hand. She stared into the eyes she loved and simply smiled brightly. She lightly touched his cheek, momentarily taking in the whisker-like scars. "It wasn't your fault. It was never your fault, Naruto-kun. We're your _friends_, and we'd never blame you." She paused for a moment and looked down. "Circumstances just weren't kind."

Naruto closed his eyes and half-smiled. He appreciated the gesture of trust and kindness. He knew she was right. He felt the way her chakra moved. Hinata wasn't lying. He needed her perspective to calm his thoughts. He just had to look back and remember. He knew Shikamaru didn't hate him, and he knew Kanaeru was worried about him. "Hinata-chan, you're not stuttering." Strangely, he felt like teasing her before thanking her.

Her eyes widened, and she almost gasped. Before they could say anything else, they were forced to jump over a barrage of arrows. Once in the trees, they suppressed their chakra and expanded their senses. Naruto almost rolled his eyes when he easily pinpointed their would-be assailants. "Well, hopefully things are going better for our friends." He whispered as they both prepared kunai and carefully molded chakra.

As they leapt through the trees in pursuit, they were surprised by a two, key facts. One, their would be assailants were obviously not ninja. They doubted they could even mold chakra. Two, they weren't trying to form up ranks as they retreated, so they could attack again. It was obvious they were trying to lead them into a trap or set up some sort of ambush, but their plans would be ineffective against the young pair's speed.

The high-canopy forest shortly gave way to barren, craggy ground. Neither Naruto nor Hinata gave a second thought to abandoning the natural cover of tall trees and dark shadows as they continued to track their quarry. They knew it was a good chance to locate their target's base of operations. They knew he was seeking rouge shinobi to hire, and Old Tree was not an easy land to search.

The north country, where reports put their target, was notorious for its many hiding places. The forests were easy to search, but the barrens obstructed search parties with sheer cliffs riddled with caves, some hidden behind waterfalls of the river that formed the canyon.

Even if the mercenaries formed ranks to attack, they were in the open and easy prey for trained ninja. They were also restricted to following the standard paths down the cliff face, but chakra-infused feet allowed ninja easy footing on even the steepest rocky cliff.

Naruto smirked as the chase continued. The mercenaries were making it too easy, and he was confident in Hinata's ability to detect traps long before they ran across them. Chasing down mercenaries was also a good chance to unwind. Compared to the hectic events of the past weeks, he was itching for the chance to let things work out slowly in his mind as he physically pounded sense into ruthless, if comparatively harmless, thugs.

Hinata was, however, distracted as she followed Naruto. As they molded chakra to their feet and ran down the cliff face to chase and demoralize the mercenaries, her mind wandered to her latest interaction with her beloved. She knew they were on a mission. She knew they couldn't afford to be distracted, even if the thugs stood no real chance against them.

Her heart just wouldn't listen to logic!

Hinata was so close to Naruto. She almost, _almost_ touched him. She only meant to reassure him, and closeness was certainly an excellent way to display utmost trust. She blushed and shook her head. If they weren't interrupted, could she have gone further. He teased her, innocently she reminded herself, but he was the one who, with his usual confident drawl, reminded her she hadn't stuttered once in her speech.

"-ta…" She skidded to a stop long before her senses caught up to her. She blinked as she stared straight ahead. She felt anxiety start to take over when she came to a very important realization. She was alone. She spun around and entered a defensive stance, but nobody was behind either. She could have sworn somebody called her name from nearby.

She closed her eyes and concentrated for a second. "Byakugan!" When she opened her eyes again, she surveyed the surrounding areas. There were a lot of caves to hide in, and nobody was on the pathways above, below, ahead, or behind. When she could find nobody along the cliff, she extended her vision inside. She paused and blinked. She again extended her vision inside the caves.

After a moment, Hinata withdrew her vision. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Na-Naruto-kun?" She couldn't see him. Something in caves blurred her vision. No, whatever substance lining the caves obscured her vision. She started running forward, looking for clues along the way. If she couldn't see with her Byakugan, she had to find him some other way, any other way.

* * *

A businessman sat behind his desk as he listened to a report from agents on the field. He nodded in understanding as he flipped through reports. Though he didn't say anything, he was pleased with the progress his men were making. It was difficult to position things as he wanted when ninja were involved. When the messenger finished giving his report, the businessman waved him off. When the door closed behind the messenger, the businessman stood and walked around his desk.

He wore formal clothing. They were pomp for the dimly-lit, cave dwelling, but he was a pomp man. His kimono, hakama, and obi were all tied perfectly, and he stood straight and regal. After a moment, he made his way to a simple wall hanging. "This was a gift from the former daimyo." As he spoke, another man seemed to emerge from the ground as if clay molded his form. "If not for me, it is most fair to say Old Tree would have been defunct many years ago."

"They repay your kindness with hostility. I know exactly how you feel." As his form solidified, his hitai-ate emerged and clearly displayed loyalty to Kumo. His expression masked no emotion as his burning hazel eyes revealed hatred. "However, that has nothing to do with you letting foreign ninja do as they please! We had a deal, and you're supposed to take that monster out of my hands!"

The businessman held up his hand. "Patience." He paused and clasped his hands behind his back. "We are alike, you and I, in that we are opportunists. I can no longer work with the government here. They hound my every step, but, as rich as I am, I have not the resources to escape." He paused and turned to face his ally. "You see the danger the…" He paused to evaluate the next word. "…monster poses to your village, but you cannot betray the trust of your village by directly being involved in getting rid of said monster."

He chuckled and slowly walked back to his desk. "With a little patience, a common benefactor brought us together. With a little more patience, we escape from this ordeal unscathed. You have me do the dirty work, and you return to your village with an untarnished name. I make enough money for ten lifetimes, and you remove a threat from your village."

"What does that have to do with the ninja here?" The cloud shinobi seethed. "We have a chance to eliminate a threat, and you're just playing games. No worse, you're hiring missing nin to do the job I should be doing! Why else keep me here if not to use my expertise?"

The businessman sighed. "I have many rivals in my vocation. The smart ones are still alive. The most cunning weasel their way into a daimyo's courts. They survive with protection. On the other hand, the stupid ones die after making it rich quick. In fact, one was known as Gato. He hired missing nin to kill anybody who got in his way. He aimed to kill ninja, and he paid dearly for it."

The cloud shinobi looked at his partner warily. He wasn't sure where the tale was going. The businessman continued. "You are here to conduct business. I have not hired you. On the contrary, you have hired me. The missing nin I hire have a simple mission. I grow weary and wish to retire, so I cannot afford the undying rage of some random Kage." He glared at his business partner. "Now if you are done here, send in the next group."

The ninja scowled, but he knew he couldn't do anything. He needed the businessman's expertise. He needed his connections, and he was perfectly willing to do anything, even forgive a weaker man's insults, to get rid of an unnatural threat. He seemed to turn into clay as he melted into the ground. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door.

The businessman smiled and once again sat behind his desk. He straightened out his formal wear before beckoning them in. "Ah, welcome honored guests. I hear you have some talents that I find myself in need of. Come, please sit." When the two were seated, he continued. "My name is Junichi, but I am sure you already know that. Please, introduce yourselves."

The dark-haired male spoke up. "I'm surprised. Usually our clients like to brag about how much they already know." The light-haired female looked at him for a moment and shrugged.

Junichi smirked. "Oh, I am sure that just annoys you. After all, you work so hard for anonymity." His expression turned cold as he lowered his face in suspicion. "You have even managed to remove yourselves from any bingo books. It is almost as if you were not rogues, but you are recognized among them."

The male shrugged, and the female rolled her eyes. She remained silent, however, as she surveyed the room. "The bingo books are too troublesome. I don't want hunter nin coming after me, and bounty hunters tend to get in the way." He leaned forward and looked at the pomp man sideways. "For all my former village knows, I'm dead. I died over three years ago when Oto."

Junichi looked to his guests with no small amount of confusion. He coughed and half chuckled. "Well, I do not know if it is more difficult to fake death or just vanish. It certainly seems, rather…" He paused for a moment. "…inconvenient to invent your own death."

"Not really." The female spoke up, still staring at a particularly fancy wall decoration. It was a geode that reminded her of compressed raiton. "It's just a matter of making a body seem convincingly similar to his and pulling off a convincing autopsy." She turned her attention to their potential employer. "I _am_ a medic, and, for all our village knows, I'm still loyal."

Junichi was about to respond when the male interrupted. "We're a team. Always have been; always will be. She can be troublesome, but it's nice to have somebody still on the inside." He looked at her and smirked. "They think she's still grieving, so they let her wander relatively freely. She has to go back from time to time to debrief and receive a psych eval, but that's a small price to pay."

Junichi smiled. So far, they seemed to be exactly what he was looking for. If they could fool medics and ANBU investigators, they were masters in their field and in deception. He leaned forward and rested his chin on tented hands. He was interested in learning more. "I have to know. How did you pull the wool over the eyes of an entire village?"

The rogue ninja both stood at once. They glared at the pompous man, and again the male spoke. "That…" He paused to heighten the tension. "…is something we will not discuss further. All you need to know is that we can do that job you requested."

The female continued. "You want to escape without causing an uproar. If you are behind the deaths of a ninja, there is a good chance _you'll_ show up on some bounty posters, even hunted by the very village you dishonored."

Junichi licked his lips. He had to be careful dealing with rogues. They were greedy, and that was the only trait they possessed which he could trust. He could not, unintentionally or not, afford to slight them. He raised his hands in mock surrender. He had his ways, and he was confident he could find out later. "You got me. However, at least properly introduce yourselves."

The dark haired male sighed and rubbed his brow. "I'm Nara Miyagi. My lovely accomplice is Nagara Aina." He tilted his head and, though he appeared to remain calm, seemed to spit out his next question. "Now, are you going to explain the details of this little job?"

"Oh, I am sure you have already deduced the details." Junichi started slowly, stroking his chin. "I want you to use a genjutsu to keep the shinobi distracted. I do have a specific request, though." The smile he wore was sinister. "They have to believe I was killed in the course of the mission. I don't care if the genjutsu makes it seem like I resisted or was crushed in some random cave in or whatever."

Aina almost laughed. "You want the same treatment I gave my partner?" Junichi nodded. "We may be good, but the best genjutsu in the world is worthless without a suitable corpse to make them fully believe you're dead." She held up a clenched fist and displayed a digit for every point she ran off. "We need to match body structure. We need to match appearance if features are discernable. We need to match blood type. We may need to perform a few extra jutsu just to make sure nobody can identify the corpse as somebody else's."

Junichi nodded. "I am paying you quite handsomely to make sure the job is completed. I am sure you can figure out what to do, and I do not really care what has to be done. If you need something, I am sure I can provide it. My resources are vast, and I have excellent connections." He chuckled. "I can easily provide a body double, anyway."

Miyagi was about to speak up when there was a knock at the door. Angered, Junichi rose and practically slammed his open palms on his desk. "What is important enough to interrupt me?"

Tentatively, the thug outside opened the door. "I know ya got visitors, but we got some news. We ambushed some trespassers earlier, but they turned out to be shinobi." Junichi swallowed nervously. Miyagi and Aina traded anxious glances. "We didna get a good look at 'em, but we somehow managed to split 'em up. We lost sight of one, but we got one tied up nice 'n' tight."

Junichi licked his lips and turned to Miyagi and Aina. "Well, it looks like we can start our business early. It seems our first guest has arrived, and I am eager to see if you live up to your rumors." He walked around the table and motioned for them to follow. Halfway to the door, he stopped and looked up as if he had a thought. "Yorukage, I believe I am quite going to enjoy my retirement."

The rogue shinobi showed no sign of hesitation. When Junichi walked out of the room and down the corridor, they simply followed. However, Miyagi couldn't help but chuckle. "I've never liked our nickname. It stands out too much, so it's troublesome." Aina simply nodded her acquiescence.

As they wandered the maze or corridors, the rogue shinobi took everything in. They recognized the path they took in, but they never took the connecting corridor they were being led down. It also didn't hurt to be on the lookout for ambushes. Absently, they noted the unusual veins of crystal formations. Though in unfamiliar territory, they felt an odd sense of déjà vu.

After multiple twists and turns, their guide stopped at the end of the corridor. Junichi looked at the thug, and the hired help nodded in response to the unasked question. Before they could open the door and enter, the thug spoke up. "Before ya saw these missing nin, they asked to see a rarely used cave entrance to set up a demonstration or some such. When we discovered 'em trespassers were shinobi, we led one of 'em there." He smiled at the rogues. "Worked like a charm."

Miyagi blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?" Startled, the thug nodded. He turned to Aina, and she shrugged. "The genjutsu we set up was low level. At best, it would slow down a genin. We set it up at the cave entrance just to give you a small taste of what we can do. If it actually caught a shinobi sent after you, it is likely a trap."

Junichi laughed heartily. "I am glad to see you think ahead, just like me." He waived his hand dismissively. "No matter, my men are trained to expect traps. I assure you; the shinobi they caught is not only shackled but stripped bare of his powers." He eyed the thug forebodingly. The thug swallowed hard and nodded his head vigorously. With a confident smirk, he turned and opened the door.

When their eyes adjusted to the light in the room, Miyagi and Aina gasped. In the center of the room, a brightly dressed, blond ninja sat tied to a wooden chair. Several torches acted as spotlights to make sure guards saw his every move. As they moved closer, they noticed the drool slowly making a trail down his chin and dripping onto the floor. A small dark spot stained the otherwise dry granite.

Junichi looked over the young man. "Ha, your genjutsu did more than slow down _this_ genin." He leaned in close and observed the rise and fall of the captive's chest. He shook his head and laughed at the steady rhythm of his breath. "He is really out of it. He is undoubtedly fast asleep."

Angrily, Aina confirmed his observations. "Yeah, he's most _definitely_ asleep." Junichi and Miyagi looked at her as her lips twitched and a vein appeared ready to pop. She opened her eyes in time to see their employer's unasked question. "He's from our village, and he's the very reason we left. His name's Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."

Junichi turned to the captive. "Na-Naruto?" His voice was surprisingly giddy.

Miyagi sighed. "Well, this is a troublesome turn of events. If he's here, we can bet his sensei is, too."

Junichi was about to ask a question when Naruto stirred and breathed groggily. He vainly struggled against his bonds as he looked around. He didn't recognize his surroundings, and he was sure he was just in hot pursuit of some poorly trained mercenaries. As his faculties caught up, he realized he was surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and he couldn't move. "Huh? How'd I end up here?"

* * *

I am completely dissatisfied with the opening. I had a few cases of writers blocks, with names to be precise. It didn't help that school got in the way, and I actually wrote this chapter, oh, six times. Yes, I kid you not. Anyway, I have a few random comparisons to the manga (once again). In my story, Kanaeru showed stunning ability with seals and, in fact, shows them to be very important to the Uzumaki. She even said she and Kushina taught Minato how to use the seal that keeps Kyuubi no Kitsune inside Naruto. See any similarities to the latest chapter of _Naruto_? I could go on. In fact, I could go on, and on, and on, ad nauseum. Let's just say I felt like banging my head on a wall several times for how similar my ideas have been to the manga artist.

I want to see if anybody has any suggestions for names for twins! I have their backgrounds and personalities already worked out, but I just can't think of any good names. I want them to have have a rhyme, theme, or some 'cutesy' relation. They are a boy and a girl, by the way.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,092  
Story Page Count: 16

**Terms:**

Yorukage - Night Shadow: Miyagi and Aina are known as the Shadow and the Night because of their mastery of shadows and dreams.

**EDIT v2**

I noticed a little (understatement) late that I incorrectly introduced the mystery ninja in this chapter as loyal to Iwa. He is indeed loyal to _Kumo_. I meant to foreshadow his identity and may have done just the opposite. I sincerely apologize.**  
**


	39. Chapter 36: Art of Knowing

I'm finding it hard to get back into a rhythm, so please bear with me as I get my schedule on straight. I will continue working on all my fan fiction works to conclusion!**

* * *

Chapter 36:  
Art of Knowing  
**

Naruto never hesitated to follow the mercenaries into the complicated maze of twisting tunnels. He was confident in his abilities, but he realized his peace of mind was not rooted there alone. He strongly believed in Hinata. As his smirk grew to an assertive grin that dominated his face, he declared the end of the chase. "Come on Hinata, let's take 'em down!" He paused to give her a moment to respond.

He nearly skidded to a halt when he heard no reply. He knew he couldn't afford to give up chase. If he lost the mercenaries, he held no illusion that he could find them or his way out. "Hey, Hinata-chan?" His concern grew as he stretched his senses and could not detect her unique chakra signature. "Hinata-chan?" He looked over his shoulder. "Argh, how could be so stupid!"

The mercenaries must have heard him because they were lined up just ahead of him. He sighed. With or without Hinata, it was time to face Junichi's hired thugs. As he slowed to a stop, he imagined a few dozen methods to take them out. He clenched his fist as he prepared to mold chakra. "It's unimaginative, but it'll get the point across." He reasoned. "Ha! Who do you think you're messing with?" He pushed his hands together and prepared his signature technique. "_Kage_…"

He paused as a crystal hit his forehead. "Huh…?" It was a worthless gesture. The crystal only hit his forehead protector, and the assailant didn't even put much force behind it. He shook his head and made a move to step forward. He redoubled concentrating on his favored ninjutsu. However as his foot landed, he felt a strange feeling overtake his senses. For a moment, he thought he heard the mercenaries snicker and loose a cry of victory.

Images swirled around him, and he felt nauseous. He managed to focus his vision on the crystal lying at his feet. He wondered if there was a trick to it as conscious thought retreated, and dreams seemed to sweep over him. He saw faces, from the distant and near past. They jumbled together, and they blurred into unrecognizable pigment as he tried to focus on one or the other.

* * *

Before he realized what was going on, he heard a familiar conversation. He almost stopped midstride as Kanaeru explained the events of the past months to Taketo. He shook his body as he tried to ignore the sense of déjà vu. However, his training under Jiraiya wouldn't allow him to ignore the obvious replay of a recent memory.

Instead, he looked around and noticed inconsistencies. He knew recognizing small irregularities was one thing, and it was separate from actually escaping from a genjutsu. He learned long ago that he was no good with the subtleties involved in creating and maintaining an illusion. He was far worse at escaping them. Still in recognizing he was in one, he could minimize or eliminate the threat of an enemy extricating valuable information from his mind.

The knowledge did nothing to put his mind at ease.

He decided to flow with the memory. Until somebody found the opportunity or reason to release him with foreign chakra, he was trapped anyway. He had no idea who was skilled enough to use genjutsu among the mercenaries. He also didn't understand the significance of the crystal that hit his forehead. With a heavy sigh, he figured they were mysteries better left for later.

He blinked. He neither heard nor felt the sigh. He more sensed it like a mental apparition. He looked around and finally realized what type of genjutsu he was in. He was detached from his body; he was watching his memories like a movie in the first-person perspective. The flow of time continued without him. He couldn't interfere or drive events.

The memory was inconsequential. Though it showed Whirlpools, they never mentioned the name of the village or land. There was no information to take from the memory. It also did not seem they were trying to break him. Though he felt a tumult of emotions at the time, he felt more joy to know he had a family. He could not imagine why they choose a memory of no relation to the current mission.

With another specter of a sigh, he decided to just watch the memory and enjoy it as best he could. He only hoped somebody released him from the mental trap soon. Still, it was strange to watch the memory from a detached perspective.

"Well…" Taketo turn his attention to the Konoha shinobi without preamble. "…I certainly cannot dispute your commitment. You do not seem the sort to betray secrets entrusted to you, and our existence is currently our _biggest_ secret. I didn't want Kanaeru to bring you here too soon, but it seems she took matters into her own hands."

"Otou-sama!" Kanaeru protested.

Taketo sighed. "Forgive me. For now, you're to be treated as honored guests. As I said earlier, let's sit down to enjoy a meal before you prepare for your first mission."

The Konoha shinobi refrained from comment. The leader of Whirlpools was difficult to read. He didn't let his emotions slip through. Even his sigh seemed devoid of feeling. However, Naruto had a different read on him. He didn't know what conclusions the others reached, but he understood his perspective.

He didn't really or fully understand what he actually felt. Taketo's chakra was, for lack of an apt description, restrained. To Naruto, it seemed his grandfather was keeping the bulk of his power tightly lidded in a small container. He imagined the old man's emotions were similarly reserved.

For a second perspective, Kyuubi no Kitsune added her own voice. She didn't say much, but he gathered enough. He didn't know how accurate his assessment was, but he got the distinct impression that emotions and chakra are somehow intertwined. Since Kyuubi was somewhat distraught over Taketo's reaction, he wasn't sure of anything.

The restaurant they stopped at was pleasant enough. It was an expensive-looking location, and they had to wait for hand-made courses. It gave them a chance to converse. Naruto already knew what was to be said. He didn't concentrate on the words. Instead, he focused on new lessons to be learned. If he was going to be stuck in a memory, he was going to come away with a new understanding. Kakashi always said to look underneath the underneath, and Jiraiya helped drive home the lesson.

In hindsight, Taketo seemed anxious. He was certainly stiff, but he picked his words as if he was stepping on eggshells. Even looking back, Naruto couldn't learn anything new. His grandfather was interested in the two, young jinchuuriki. Though he didn't ask many questions, he seemed satisfied with what he gained. It confounded Naruto to no end.

Once the appetizer was consumed and main course delivered, conversation turned towards innocent Momiji. She sat next to Naruto and shied away from curious glances from onlookers. While Taketo observed her, guards in the background monitored her reactions. The Konoha shinobi were incensed, but Kanaeru explained it was necessary and harmless. As she explained, she showed certain characteristics recognized unique to the Uzumaki.

When the main course was consumed and desert was prepared, conversation turned to a new topic. They could not, in good conscious, take Momiji on the mission to Old Tree. All four Konoha shinobi were needed for the mission, and, as much as they hated to admit it, Momiji would only serve as a distraction. Nevertheless, it was not easy to convince her to stay. By the end of dinner, she clung to Naruto and refused to release him.

They walked into a shop drawing curious looks from curious onlookers. Though they rarely saw outsiders, they never imagined their great leader leading them around. As they bought last minute provisions, they continued to try convincing Momiji. Though she remained obstinate, everybody could tell reason was slowly breaking her resolve.

She seemed to understand that there was nothing she could do as they progressed towards the main entrance. She no longer clung to Naruto's leg. Instead, she held his hand with a downcast face. She pouted and looked on the verge of tears. At the village threshold, the blond jinchuuriki turned and kneeled before the red-haired jinchuuriki.

She heaved a sobbing breath as he placed his hands on her shoulders; though, he was impressed when she didn't cry. "Come now, Momo-chan. We'll be back." His tone was gentle and comforting.

She managed to respond between choked breaths. "Do you promise?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

"Really?" She rubbed her eyes.

"Really." He smiled warmly.

"Really, really?" She wanted reassurance.

He sighed happily, as a big brother might over a little sister. "Hey, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I never go back on my…" He couldn't finish as she wrapped her small arms around his neck. "…word. That's my nindo." He finished softly as he patted her back.

Shikamaru smirked. "Troublesome." He signaled for the rest of the team to get ready. "Well, it's time to head out."

Naruto stood slowly enough for Momiji to get the message. She let go, and…his vision went black. He felt foreign chakra invade his body. He heard voices filter through his subconscious long before he was aware enough to understand what was going on.

* * *

As Naruto stared down his captors, he berated himself. Once again, his impatience got the better of him. He walked right into a rather obvious trap. He knew the mercenaries wouldn't run forever. They would feel as if their pride were injured if they lost to a couple of children, even if they were ninja. However, he was confused by the mission target's reaction.

"Naruto?" Junichi repeated. Miyagi and Aina looked to him confused. "Are you absolutely _positive_ he is Uzumaki Naruto?" They only nodded, not sure what to say, and they backed away at his reaction. A mad chuckle emanated from deep within his throat. His face twitched greedily as he prepared an addendum to his initial plans. "It seems, Yorukage, we just scored big."

"What are you talking about?" Aina started. "All we did was capture a little demon, and I _doubt_ his sensei is very far behind! If we don't prepare for Sharingan Kakashi, whatever you have planned is doomed, and I'd rather _keep_ my anonymity." Her anger was obvious as her tirade subsided. She visibly fumed, and flushed skin revealed her anxiety.

Junichi only smirked and snapped his fingers. A mercenary immediately produced a well-worn book and placed it in his waiting hands. The well-dressed man carefully, precisely flipped through marked and frayed pages. When he came to what he was looking for, he licked his lips. "It is oft said to never look a gift horse in the mouth." He chuckled once more. "I was looking to retire and find a quiet place to settle down in some distant land. Now, I think I might buy one instead and enjoy a comfortable twilight."

Miyagi and Aina didn't recognize the book he held. The former decided to speak up. "We're not entirely sure what you're getting at. Retirement's fine and all, but what does this troublesome pest have to do with it?"

Junichi was almost giddy as he explained. "You ninja have something of a bounty list book, right?" They nodded. "This is quite similar. I cannot rely solely on the skills I have accumulated over my lifetime, so I have found appropriate allies." He paused, turning his attention and greedy smirk to their captive. "I shall be paid handsomely for this demon's capture, by Akatsuki."

Miyagi and Aina pensively shared glances. After a moment, they nodded, and the latter spoke. "Listen, it's dangerous to hold him. We should just make him believe some invented story with a genjutsu and carry out your plan to escape to some secluded retirement. Even if _you_ can trust Akatsuki, I'm afraid _we_ can't."

The business dressed employer raised an eyebrow, curious. Miyagi continued. "Our former village was filled with fools, but we still have friends and family." He rolled his eyes. "It may seem troublesome, but Aina still lives there. She saw the devastation Akatsuki wreaked."

Junichi only laughed. When he noticed their incensed expressions, he apologized. "Ah, sorry, sorry. I did not mean to laugh at your plight. I only mean; you will not leave this deal empty handed. I mean to pay you twice – no, four times the original asking price."

The members of Yorukage laughed as one. "Our services are not cheap, Junichi." Miyagi stated matter of factly once their apparent mirth died. "I doubt even you could pay such a remuneration."

Junichi's smirk widened. "I am only paying a small fraction of what Akatsuki offers a civilian for capturing the demon you so fear, and even that is over twice as much as they offer a ninja for the capture." Thoughtful expressions replaced incredulous ones. The business-like criminal continued. "Already, your services have profited me, and I intend to be beholden to no one."

Miyagi was about to respond when Naruto blurted out. "Hey, hey, hey, don't just ignore me!" He growled grumpily. They looked at him as if they just realized he was conscious. "Akatsuki won't pay you, anyway! They'll just kill you and take me." He didn't want to be taken by the criminal organization, but he was also hoping to garner some information from their mission's target.

Junichi chuckled. "It does not concern you. However, I have dealt with the underworld since I struck out on my own, and, unlike others in my profession, I know all about prison." He paid special attention to the reactions of his audience. After a moment, he walked to the door and prepared to open it. "I know what to watch for, and Akatsuki smells of desperation." He let the comment hang in the air as he walked out, Yorukage shortly behind him.

The door nearly slammed behind them, and Naruto lowered his head as he contemplated his situation. He was definitely trapped in enemy territory. He didn't need to struggle against his bonds to know he couldn't mold his chakra. _"Junichi is cautious and well equipped. I hope the others can catch up to me soon."_

He looked around the room. The walls revealed little. He was in a small cavern within the complicated maze of tunnels. The room was lit and barren. Though he saw similar crystals to what the mercenaries hit him with, he saw no mercenaries to guard him. He wondered if whatever prevented him from molding chakra might also weaken or sicken. He only had conjecture, no real reason.

He kicked and yelled in frustration. _"I just had to go and get captured. I lost Hinata-chan, and Shikamaru and Sakura-chan aren't done with their part of the mission."_ He sighed. Things were not going well. He leaned his head back and tried to think as he stared at the ceiling. _"Junichi is confident in his ability to deal with Akatsuki."_ He narrowed his eyes. _"What exactly did he do for Old Tree's former daimyo?"_

As he pondered the target's revelations and his situation, he thought he heard distant sobbing.

* * *

Neji and Tenten sat at the edge of the camp overlooking the last leg of their trek to Demons' capital. While Mizukura checked and double checked logistics, they discussed weather and road conditions vital to identifying potential shinobi ambush points. While Shion's guards could handle most ordinary opponents, just two shinobi could drive them into a corner.

It was the end of yet another boring day on the long journey. They planned each night for potential attacks, and they ended each day with nothing to worry about. Demons had few enemies, but they weren't about to take any chances. Internal strife led to the attempt on Momiji's life, and it was unlikely the people knew Shion was returning without her adoptive daughter.

The clouds overhead rumbled, and Neji looked up. "It looks like we'll see another few days of non-stop rain." He sighed lightly and returned his attention to his teammate. "It'll slow our progress, but we should be there in another two days."

Tenten mirrored his exasperation with a heavy sigh and rested her elbows on her knees. Escorting civilians was always trying, but it was more difficult to transport royalty with an overprotective retinue of guards. She understood and respected their attendance to duty, but the slow march was annoying and fatigued them.

However, she was forced to reconcile that Shion had a harder time of it. At Kanaeru's suggestion, she left her beloved adoptive daughter with the man she affectionately called husband. The Konoha Shinobi didn't know all the reasons, and they didn't pry. Whatever reasons existed, they were private matters. Mizukura and the guard were just as concerned, but they were similarly reserved.

Shion put on a strong, outward front. She smiled easily, and she laughed and joked. Still, everybody knew she missed the adorable redhead. They knew it was hard to live life as usual with a piece missing. She was lonely, and she only allowed depression to wash over or tears to overflow in private. She hid her moments of weakness, and those who followed her respected her all the more for it.

"The land weeps." Mizukura spoke as he approached, and they looked up surprised at his words. He never took his eyes off the clouds as he spoke. "I don't know why, but I sense uncertainty for the coming days." He released a heavy breath. "Though it brought her misery, I miss the solace we once found in her predictions."

Neji and Tenten looked to the clouds, hoping to catch what the captain of the guard sensed.

* * *

Samurai marched outside a large structure that seemed to jut from the land. They were obviously guarding the massive building. They formed an army, and they stood as a barrier between those meeting within and those who might attack from without. Though they understood the necessity, they felt like ants compared to the great powers discussing issues important to continued stability across the land.

Samurai stringently adhered to oaths of honor, so none dared eavesdrop. If they did, they might find much lighter topics of conversation interspersing with the tedium of ensuring that the serious threat of Akatsuki comes to a quick and decisive end.

"So…" The Mizukage cooed sweetly into Kakashi's ear. "I met your jinchuuriki on my way here." He looked at her skeptically. She smiled coyly. "You don't have to believe me, but I must say I was reminded of myself before I became my village's Fifth."

He chuckled. "I find that hard to believe." He fixed his free eye on her bright orbs to observer her reaction to his next statement. "Some still call you a revolutionary. Though I can't say I blame you for deposing your previous leader, most of his loyalists seem to have joined Akatsuki."

She bristled briefly and sighed. Inwardly, she admitted he had struck a nerve. "Ah, there _is_ some truth to what you say." She was forced to acquiesce somewhat. She then continued, venom entering her words. "However, I cannot control what those privileged elites decided to do. We were controlled like puppets on a string, and we are a proud people predisposed to hate puppet masters."

Kakashi seemed satisfied with her reaction. Still, he didn't understand why she compared her earlier self to Naruto. He leaned back and looked to the ceiling. Unlike the other Kage, he had elected to stay in the meeting hall during the brief recess. His companion from Kiri returned shortly after dismissing her bodyguards.

Though he had no intention of harming the Mizukage, her ensemble made valid arguments. However in the end, they grudgingly left them to talk in private. At first, he hadn't expected the subject matter to concentrate on Konoha's blond jinchuuriki. After a brief rumination, he resumed the conversation. "He's brash, but he's loyal. He's full of ideals, but he lacks real world experience. I guess we were all like that at one point."

Mei shook her head. "That's not what I mean, and you know it." He looked at her, curious. "His eyes are bright and full of promise. If he does lack real world experience, it's because he has experienced the curse of the jinchuuriki." She rested her chin on joined fingers and contemplated her words. "He lacks the warmth of a mother's love and father's discipline."

"If anything…" She tilted her head just enough to rest her furtive eyes on him. "…he lived in the darkness of the world, and he managed to find a sliver of light and cling to it with desperate strength." She leaned back in her chair suddenly enough to give the interim Hokage pause, and she took advantage of his momentary lapse. "He's a lot like me because I was lost and fought tooth and nail to find even a single drop of light."

She waggled a finger at him and clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth with a 'tut, tut, tut.' "Don't presume, Kakashi-kun, that we of the mist are without compassion. It was out of fear that the prestigious elites admonished and hunted those with kekkei genkai. I hope it's no secret that I've worked hard to correct that mistake."

He smiled under his mask. "I think nothing of the sort." She seemed satisfied at his response and stood to leave. She returned to her seat just as the doors to the meeting hall opened and ushered in the remaining three Kage. Behind them, two bodyguards per Kage followed closely behind. Lastly, moderators invited from various neutral and allied ninja villages entered and closed the large doors.

The meeting, full of open discussions and arguments, was about to begin again. So far, they had accomplished little besides identifying Akatsuki as a common threat and enemy. Though all agreed Akatsuki had to be dealt with, they seemed unable to reach a decision on _how _to deal with an obviously looming hazard.

Kakashi felt relieved to have Gara's support. However, the three remaining Kage did not make it easy. The Mizukage was amiable, but she cautiously approached ideas. The Raikage appeared distracted and anxious, but he asserted a strong desire to lead any operations against Akatsuki. The Tsuchikage appeared ready to see Akatsuki as a potential shinobi village, and he portended potential war ravaging the land if they persisted.

As they argued, Kakashi wondered if even Naruto's ceaseless optimism would dwindle in the face of such obstinate opposition. It was not easy to turn the opinions of powerful leaders for they bore the weight of loyalty to their daimyo and country as well as the lives of all shinobi under their command. He had to find a way to make the issue vitally important to them. He had to make Akatsuki's threat personally relevant to each land and each village.

As he listened to the Tsuchikage argue as stubborn as a mountain, he inwardly sighed and dared not outwardly show his frustration and contempt.

* * *

Sasame was earnestly surprised when she was summoned to a mission briefing. She didn't know what to expect when Shizune ordered them to attend to unknown casualties far to the north of Konoha. She was pleasantly surprised to see Isaribi, Shino, and Kiba. She was suspicious of the ANBU captain told to accompany them, Hawk. Still, she accepted it.

She did inquire about one thing before they left. She wanted to know why only one medic was being sent to attend to the wounded Konoha shinobi. The answer hadn't satisfied her, and she was further dissatisfied to see the extent of the injuries. At the same time, she fully understood the implications.

Konoha herself was injured, and they could spare no more medics.

She knew, and she even understood. However, she just wasn't satisfied! Yamato, Anko, and Sai were badly injured, and their treatment did nothing to improve their condition. While she was sure the local medics were competent enough to deal with common injuries in the civilian world, she witnessed firsthand how poorly they responded to the injuries caused by shinobi.

While it took them a little over half a day to reach the small trade village, their messenger bird took nearly a week to reach Konoha. Apparently, the messenger bird should have only taken approximately three days, but something had disoriented it. In the time it took them to reach the injured tracker team, the rescue team was dismayed to find them feverish with poorly set bones.

In the weeks since arriving in Kitaboueki, Sasame set about the slow and difficult task of once more breaking bones and setting them properly. As she accelerated cellular growth and immune response, she attentively listened to Hawk and Isaribi debrief them. The information was important enough to treatment that no one objected to her presence.

She learned they were tracking Kabuto when an unknown assailant attacked them from behind. They were unsure of the exact order in which they were attacked, but they felt it likely that the assailant targeted Sai as the youngest to garner information from. Without a Yamanaka, they were unlikely to learn what the assailant was after. Because none could describe the attacker or attackers, Sasame was forced to also look for head trauma and potential persistent genjutsu.

She was relieved to find no persistent genjutsu, but head trauma was nearly a given. Yamato complained of steady headaches, Anko heard ringing, and Sai had some difficulty seeing. The weeks were rough, but she managed to have them nearly fully recovered by the time Naruto arrived in Old Tree, unbeknownst to them.

When Yamato and Anko were well enough to walk about freely, they joined Isaribi and Hawk to talk to the village leader. Sasame approached Kiba and Shino to find out why they wanted to talk with Chin Keita. Neither knew, so she was left in the dark. She wasn't concerned, though. She was sure they had good reason. Instead, she rededicated her time to Sai.

Of the injuries, his left arm was the worst, and his sight wasn't fully recovered for whatever reason. He had difficulty with his peripheral vision, and his ability to distinguish color appeared diminished. She couldn't identify the reason. His occipital lobe was barely bruised, and the gash over his eye had long since healed. On the other hand, the assailant had seen fit to badly twist and crush Sai's arm.

She often sighed while working. When asked what was wrong, she deflected the question and continued healing unabated. Inwardly, she worried. Yamato and Anko's injuries, though sever, were not as problematic as their younger companion. The assailant badly gnarled Yamato's clavicle, and the same person cut Anko's Achilles tendon and caused simple fractures in three places along her leg. For head trauma, Yamato only suffered a concussion, and Anko had her eardrums punctured.

The injuries only confirmed suspicions that the assailant struck at Sai last. The injuries were too extreme for an ambush. According to evidence, they could not have been attacked from behind and subdued quickly, or else the alternative was too horrible to conceive. Whatever had happened, it was impossible to reconstruct the event, and they all feared the implications.

While Sasame attended to Sai under the watchful gaze of her bodyguards Kiba and Shino, Isaribi focused on her own duties as Konoha's spy master. Initially, she gathered information on the sight of the assault from Yamato, Anko, and Keita. Hawk only observed the proceedings and reconstructed the event as best she could. However, there was little to go on, and they ruled out Kabuto as the assailant.

Based on past experiences, he had no motive, and he was more inclined to try talking. He refused to confront Kakashi because he was outclassed. It was unlikely he would feel particularly confident facing an ANBU, jounin, and ROOT agent. The injuries also didn't fit his modus operandi. He was careful and precise, and he attacked with surgical precision. He could separate tendon from bone without sign of physical harm, so he had no need to fracture bone.

No, they were dealing with an unknown. If they were lucky, the assailant was a member of Akatsuki. Even then, lucky was a subjective phrase. They were still dealing with somebody able to incapacitate three competent shinobi without them noticing, but it was better than the alternative. If they were unlucky, the assailant was a single rogue or one from an unknown organization. Then, they had absolutely no starting point.

For the time being, they agreed not to seek theories with so many unknowns. They could not afford to assume, so the investigation ended only baby steps from where it started. Once Anko and Yamato rejoined Sai, Isaribi and Hawk debriefed Keita on other matters. Unknown to the others, the trade town elder was a member of Jiraiya's spy network that Isaribi inherited.

He still didn't fully trust her, but Hawk's presence reassured him to some degree. He knew nobody could replicate her poise or attention to detail, and he suspected she was Hyuuga or Uchiha. He had no proof. Doubtless, she could be Yamanaka, Aburame, or Nara. They were also attentive, but he trusted his gut to narrow suspicion.

Whatever he felt about Isaribi, he carefully recollected the information that passed through Kitaboueki. Even the most innocuous rumor could divulge important information on the many movements of both ally and foe. Just as Jiraiya relied on untrained ears, Isaribi was thankful for what she gleamed of military, political, social, and economic movements. She also understood why Konoha shinobi often said that they feared the untrained ears of civilians more than the prudent ears of shinobi.

The fact that Kage moved to a centralized location for a summit had not escaped notice, but they already knew what the conference entailed. Instead, they concentrated on other movements. They also had to sift through battles that commonly occurred when shinobi met. They were less concerned with missions the other shinobi villages partook in and more interested in how Akatsuki moved in response to losing the puppet leader.

The information was difficult to discern. There were unusual movements that recognized nations could not account for. If Akatsuki was responsible for anything they saw through rumors, they could not immediately tell.

A powerful force was moving through Wind towards Suna.

Two strange instances existed in Rice. A fearful presence moved with the swiftness of a shark through water, and, perhaps more frightening, it seemed to be on a beeline course for Void. Another force seemed to be sitting near, or even in, one of Orochimaru's old hideouts.

In Demons, clandestine attempts to enter the palace grounds raised guard patrols.

In Earth, a known black marketer skillfully evaded pursuit forces as he headed north or east.

In Lightning, a well liked and respected shinobi was attacked by an unknown assailant, and her child was taken despite her violent defense.

Isaribi and Hawk agreed. The six movements potentially had connections to Akatsuki. However, they estimated, at most, three major members were still in play. Sasuke's Team Hawk were still an independent organization with indeterminate ties to Akatsuki, and they were more likely to move as a cohesive unit than individually.

Though they had good information, they had nothing to move on. Konoha was too weak to investigate all six instances in a reasonable timeframe. They had to gather more information and consolidate rumors into something more tangible.

* * *

Madara looked up from a file he was reading. Zetsu knelt near the threshold of the obvious study. For a moment, Akatsuki's true leader seemed to ignore him as he returned his attention to the file. "It's rare for you to disturb me like this, Zetsu." He paused as he flipped a page. "What do you have to report?" His eyes slanted up impatiently.

His subordinate didn't disappoint as he immediately recounted what information he managed to put together. "As you know, we have spies all over the place. After we forced Kira Bii to reveal his deception, I recommenced operations to root out jinchuuriki wherever we still had operatives." He paused uncomfortably under his leader's burning gaze. "Unfortunately, several lands have managed to disable our operations, Fire key among them."

He breathed heavily as he fought against an angry tide. "Disappointingly, I was left few viable operatives and fewer lands." He confidently pulled out a manila folder, and a vine grabbed it and carried it across the room. As Madara put his other file down and opened it, Zetsu grinned and continued. "There are a disproportionately large number of superstitious incidents in Demons." He tilted his head in one direction. "It seems that a demon-possessed child was born three years ago."

Madara scratched his chin. "A few farmers disgruntled over a poor crop hardly make reliable sources." He flipped a page, and his eyes scanned the contents. "Circumstantial." He turned the page and read further. His eyes stopped in one section and tilted his head to one side.

Zetsu understood his sudden silence and interest. "It's a very rare feature; wouldn't you agree? To think, the 'fire hair' managed to migrate so far south." He paused and thought about what to say next. "Demons has non-aggression pacts with the five great shinobi nations, and they have a keen interest in keeping the land, especially its miko, around."

Madara's eyes rested dangerously on his subordinate. "As I've heard." He returned his attention to the file and flipped the page. He chuckled at a particular passage. "Our precious Kyuubi brat certainly gets around…" He sighed. "…but the same farmers who hate the 'fire hair demon' seem to love Naruto-kun. What makes him different?"

For several, long seconds, silence reigned as Zetsu thought through his next words. When he finally spoke, his speech was careful. "It does seem to be conjecture right now, but there are differences. The 'fire hair demon' was born during a particularly hard drought and was summarily blamed for it. When the Kyuubi visited, the people saw and rejoiced the jinchuuriki who saved her."

Madara nearly slammed the file on the nearby desk. "Get to the point, Zetsu." His demand seemed to resonate throughout the room.

Zetsu was prepared for some form of rage, but he could never get used to Akatsuki's true leader's calm, nearly subtle rage. "The 'fire hair demon' has been taken into the miko's care. My operatives can't track her any further. I can infiltrate the palace and learn the truth. If she's our new Hachibi, we'll be closer to your grand plan."

Madara didn't really need to think. If they sent more operatives, it would just waste resources. They needed somebody inside the palace to learn more, and the miko daimyo's personal guard were extensively screened. He also knew Akastuki's master spy could operate on his own. "I want answers, Zetsu. Go."

When the plant master disappeared into foliage and sank into the earth, Akatsuki's taskmaster returned to the file he was reading earlier. "How did Kira Bii survive losing the Hachibi? It may be a setback, but the answer may be a leap forward." He turned to the next page in the file and sighed. "At least that experiment was a success…"

* * *

The citizens of Void were a hearty people. They survived the great ninja wars unlike people of any other land. They were not isolationists, but they refused to take sides. They could not stand up to shinobi, and they had no hidden village. They never agreed to a non-aggression treaty. Instead, shinobi never saw fit to settle the land.

Where countries like Old Tree and Demons respectively relied on resources and non-aggression pacts, Void relied on techniques that arise from ancient seals and glyphs. No shinobi could explain it, or at least none were willing to explain it. Among rumors and speculation, there were shinobi with similar skills and techniques, the toad masters of Konoha for example.

Whatever techniques Void used, she was a prosperous land. Void traded openly with any land with exception of a single resource. The people of Void refused to trade military revenue. Void was the only land that never commissioned shinobi missions, and, likewise, they never offered their extensive library of unusual techniques or machines.

The mysterious guardians were perfect examples of Void's anonymity. When they were sighted, reports varied. Even among the most trained shinobi, nobody could agree on just what these Guardians were. To some, they were giants. To some, they were strange, stone golems. To others, they were great, elemental beasts. To still others, they were chakra beings of lesser power than the great bijuu. However, all agreed they were powerful beings to be feared.

The guardians caused awe in shinobi who witnessed them. Though stupefied, they understood one, key point. If they entered Void with any intent to cause harm, they were attacked immediately. The guardians didn't even care whom the intent was directed towards. While shinobi armies invaded Lightning, none attacked through Void.

Kisame knew all the rumors and facts surrounding Void. He grinned smugly as he looked towards the nearest guardian statue. He was far enough away that its head, sticking out of a canopy of trees, was barely a speck on the horizon. Unlike other shinobi, he didn't see the his mission as suicide. Instead, he reveled in it. It was a challenge he gladly accepted.

With his powerful head cleaver Samehada in hand, he was often compared to the great bijuu. He didn't know if he was as powerful as the great chakra beings, but he never cared. Even if his strength couldn't compare to Void's guardians, he would move forward with his mission. He sought the challenge. The challenge defined him, and he let it define him.

The Mizukage he believed him ordered him to change the world. Now, the Mizukage he believed in ordered him to march into Void and dethrone the mighty, mysterious guardians. The world knew Akatsuki was stationed in Rain. They needed time to regroup and restructure, and Madara doubted the hidden villages would stand still for very long.

Kisame understood his opinion. Though between five Kage there were five opinions, they were unlikely to leave Akatsuki to its own devices. Eventually, they would reach a consensus. It was only a matter of time, and they couldn't afford to delay for too long. However, he didn't understand one point of contention, and he would never bring it up before Madara.

Kisame was sure his true leader knew what he was doing, but he also understood something of politics. Though Void stood apart as a unique nation, nobody could deny strong economic alliances. If Akatsuki attacked Void, the hidden villages would be galvanized to unite and move against them. He never considered himself particularly clever, but he was not blind to motivation and momentum.

With a shrug, he stretched his head to either side until he felt and heard a reverberating crack and took a step forward. He rolled his shoulders as he flared his chakra. He bore sharp rows of shark-like fangs as his grin widened from ear to ear, and his eyes reflected his mirth. He emitted no bloodlust for he yet had no target, but he was sure his intentions were clear.

Kisame, a beast of nearly equal standing to bijuu, was invading the peaceful land of Void. With a chuckle, he mused to himself. _"They are constantly prepared for war, but I wonder if they are actually equipped for me."_ The thought amused him, and he continued forward with all the speed of a shark through water.

He ran straight to the nearest village. He avoided paved roads. He did not fear for civilization, but rather desired to see a response to serendipitous entry. Void had no chakra sensors, so he was always curious how the mighty guardians responded so quickly and without prejudice. Besides, if the guardians did nothing to intercept him, he could start the bloodbath in a random village and let carnage draw them out. He did not care either way.

He felt nothing as he approached the village, and he started counting the distance by the tree branches between him and his target. As the monotony mounted, his frustration supplemented his thoughts. _"Where are these guardians? Aren't they supposed to protect the citizens of Void?"_ He sighed with a nearly audible growl. _"If they don't show up soon, I'll show them exactly why I'm called a beast. I'll rip the town to shreds, and I'll let rivers of blood flow across the land! I'll feed Samehada the lives they should zealously protect, and I'll mount heads as a reminder that even the mysterious guardians quake in my approach!"_

In his musings, he noticed a large shadow. He looked at it curiously for he could not immediately identify its source. He sensed no living being approach. As he turned his neck to observe his pursuer, he was knocked from the forest canopy. The ground exploded beneath him, and he coughed as the dust settled. As he regain his bearings, he realized exactly what struck him, and his expression twisted in excitement.

* * *

Sasuke scowled as he looked over the village ruins. The devastation of war left a permanent scar. The ruins would never again prosper. They would never again see farmers till the land, fishers spear the riverbed, or traders haggle over prices. The ruins were once a crossroad of war. Armies of shinobi vied for dominance on any front, and those who couldn't fend for themselves fled or perished.

He hated the scene, and he let his hatred continue to fuel the fires of his desires. He didn't care about who or how the village was trampled. He understood collateral damage. He let the scene remind him, instead, of how the Uchiha were trampled underfoot. The ruins reminded him of home, and the sun sinking below the horizon reminded him of the smoldering scene of corpses and battle-worn houses.

He looked up when a shadow interrupted the scene. Karin approached with a hot plate of food. Juugo leaned against a wall in the distance as he watched the perimeter. The red haired sensor spoke up. "Suigetsu must be a real failure. It's been weeks, and he hasn't even returned from such a simple mission!" She smiled furtively and sat next to Sasuke. As she spoke, she shouldered closer to him. "If it were me, I would have dragged that toy back by now."

He rested his Sharingan on her dangerously. He knew exactly which buttons to press to make her regret her words, but he also wanted her to feel the weight of reproach. If he said she must doubt his decisions, she would only gently coo and explain them not as doubts but suggestions and deductions. She felt _she_ was more competent for the mission because she knew more of stealth and espionage. She could sneak in, and nobody would be the wiser.

"Your jealousy is unbecoming." She bristled, wide-eyed at his response. Sasuke was aiming for that expression, and his internal gratification barely hinted in his expression with a ghost of a smile, one only an Uchiha or Hyuuga would notice. He turned his attention to the hot food before him and deliberately, slowly ate.

Karin was too dumbfounded to move. She didn't realize their leader's full plan. He didn't simply want to take the objective. He wanted to publicly humiliate the elders of Konoha. He wanted to break perceptions. Most of all, he wanted to lure all the pieces onto the carefully laid board. If the game was afoot, _he_ was the only one in charge.

After giving her a moment to wallow in desperate misery, he wiped his mouth and explained why she wasn't the right person for the particular mission he sent Suigetsu on. "If I wanted something done without anybody noticing, I have no doubt you'd be the best candidate." Her mood brightened, and a blush crept across her cheeks. "However, I _want_ Konoha to know _exactly_ who is responsible."

A large blade with a hole large enough for a head to fit through landed between them just as Karin was about to curl up next to Sasuke again. While she nearly jumped out of her skin and crawled back, his only response was to angle his head to gaze at the roof of the nearest ruined building. "Is that witch trying to poison my image again?" Suigetsu spat angrily.

Karin stood incensed. "Watch where you throw your toys, idiot!" She growled before indignantly adding on. "Or perhaps, you're so incompetent you just fumbled around with it!" She didn't admit it out loud, but she was surprised that he managed to sneak up on them. Even if she might have been distracted by affections, she prided herself on being a sensor second to none. He was too arrogant to suppress or disguise his chakra.

Sasuke wanted to stem the encroaching headache, so he interrupted them to address a far more immediate concern. He made sure to emphasize each syllable to put his point across. "Where is your target objective?" With disdain, he noted his subordinate's arms were empty save his own equipment. The bag slung across his back was also too small.

Suigetsu turned his attention to their leader. His scowl grew into a placid expression, and he shrugged. "You didn't tell me anything about the _desert_, Sasuke-kun." His head exploded like a water balloon. As globules of water coalesced to reform his skull, his lips curled to reveal a near gleeful grin and a row full of sharp teeth. He chuckled as he stared at Sasuke's outstretched hand, and he broke into hysterical guffaws as their leader slowly retracted his arm.

"I don't see what's so funny." Juugo sighed as he walked up. He was always curious about his comrades behavior. Their team was a rather motley crew. He supposed it was leftover remnants from their leader's past life in Konoha. While the teammates might see no rhyme or reason, they were puzzle pieces complimenting each other in a much larger picture. At least he hoped that reason drove their leader's selection.

Sasuke slowly focused his Sharingan on Juugo when he spoke. With the same deliberate speed, he returned his gaze to Suigetsu. He merely tilted his nearly reformed head to one side, same confident grin adorning his features. He reached over his shoulder and opened the small back strapped across his back. "It took some doing, but I managed to complete the objective…" He reached into to the back and slowly extracted, first, a head.

Karin, wide-eyed, pointed an accusing finger at their companion. "That bag isn't big enough to hold the target!" Sasuke and Juugo also looked at him suspiciously. Then, Suigetsu melted into water, and their eyes followed the resulting rivulets to ground level. As he reformed, they awaited his explanation.

He held a young girl by the collar of her clothes, and his smirk grew wider. As she swayed in the air, he completed his earlier statement. "…and bring the target to the rendezvous point whole." He pointed his chin to Karin in an obvious gesture before tossing the girl to his redheaded teammate. Though annoyed by his behavior, she rushed to catch her.

Instead of dwelling on his target, Suigetsu returned his attention to Sasuke. His friendly expression dimmed slightly as he prepared for the question he knew would remain unasked. He knew their leader demanded the answer without saying anything. He leaned back and shouldered the wall and, in a relaxed tone, started. "Well, I'd like to say it was easy, but conditions weren't exactly to my liking."

He sighed. "The desert, Sasuke-kun, do you know how harsh the desert is? I tracked them all the way out to the desert, and I managed to infiltrate Suna." He shook his head. "Wasn't easy, it wasn't easy." He eyed their leader, his smirk sinister. "I presented myself and made my case. They didn't like it; they fought me. Oh, don't give me that expression. I didn't kill anybody you didn't want me to kill, and now I'm here."

"Explain it." Sasuke nearly growled. "All of it." He left no room for interpretation, and he was not about to brook excuses.

* * *

I like this chapter a lot better, but writer's block still retarded its growth.

I've officially switched to Microsoft Office 2007, so my word and page count _may_ see some change from the standard I've been using up to now in 2003. They format a lot differently, but I like the new format a lot better as well as the tools available to me.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,071  
Story Page Count: 15

**Terms:**

...


	40. Chapter 37: Consequences

In _Chapter 35: It's All Relative_, there is an error I noticed and corrected. In the last section of the story, I incorrectly labeled the mystery shinobi as loyal to Iwa when, in fact, he is loyal to Kumo. It was meant to foreshadow his reveal in this chapter. I sincerely apologize to all readers who might be confused due to that mistake.

* * *

**Chapter 37:  
Consequences  
**

"Well…" Suigetsu shrugged. "It's not like I was going to leave anything out. It's just, come on Sasuke-kun, the desert?" He rolled his eyes at the impatient glares he received. "All right, all right, I got it. I just wanted to get that off my chest." He heaved a sigh and leaned back. "Well, you can guess what happened right after I left. That was the easy part."

He eyed Karin. "Now, I'm not saying spying is easy, so get your panties out of a twist." He let his gaze wander to a part in the clouds. "Compared to a trek through the desert though, I'd rather do that. Ugh, can you imagine the desert?"

"Get on with it!" Karin yelled out of frustration. When the young girl she was holding moaned, attention turned to her. With a huff, the redheaded sensor precisely molded her chakra and monitored the young girl's chakra flow. Without hesitation, she placed a genjutsu crafted to lull her into an unsuspecting dream.

Suigetsu chuckled. "You're always so impatient, Karin." He was going to continue, but a dangerous glare from Sasuke stopped him short. "Fine, but you can expect me to embellish the story!" He enjoyed the collective sighs. "As soon as I left, I of course dedicated myself to finding accurate information on our sleeping bundle over there."

He shrugged and shook his head. "I thought she might be in Konoha, so I scoped the place out." He turned his attention to Sasuke and gave him a thumbs up. "By the way, nice digs!" With a wide smirk, he added mockingly. "I can see why you left it!" His head exploded like an overfilled water balloon.

As streams of water gathered back together and his head once more took shape, he settled his glower on their leader. Heaving a sigh, he continued. "Tough crowd." He leaned back again, taking special interest in a passing cloud. "Anyway, it might have been the situation or it might have been because nobody can remember every single shinobi in a hidden village, but I was able to disguise myself and slip in undetected."

A wicked grin spread across his face. "You have no _idea_ how hard it was to stop myself from separating some heads from their bodies, but I resisted that particular temptation." He paused as his sword arm reflexively twitched. "I asked around and helped like some idiot leaf, and I finally managed to get some _useful_ information."

He winced as if pained and swallowed hard. "_That's_ when I went into that dreadful, barren wasteland!" He looked directly at their leader. "The desert, Sasuke? Do you know how harsh the desert is?" Karin pelted him with rocks before he continued.

* * *

Tsume panted as she stared down her teammates. Her bright, orange clubs gleamed in the sunlight. Though the paint chipped and cracked, the material underneath was obviously resilient. Her eyes like melted chocolate convulsed in apparent anticipation. When Hishu charged her, her grip tensed around her clubs. In a seeming unnecessary display of acrobatics, she launched her small frame into the air and slammed her clubs in opposite directions just as the sand seemed to explode beneath her.

Mori allowed his hazel and green eyes to widen in surprise as he pulled back on invisible strings of chakra. When he heard a resounding thwack, he knew he was an instant too late. One of Tsume's clubs collided with his two-armed Karasu. He felt one of the chakra strings slacken and unconsciously looked up from his cover to examine the extent of the damage. He almost sighed aloud when he saw the puppet's jaw and left shoulder all but smashed.

For Hishu's part, he barely managed to get his guard up. He had to use both of his bludgeoning clubs to block her more nimble weapon. He was knocked into a sandy knoll and came to a skidding halt, and he had to resist the urge to rub his sore muscles. The complex tattoo upon his brow glowed nearly the same color as his soft green eyes as it caught rays from the midday sun. Sweat flew from the edges of his hair as he turned his head in surprise. "Ah, Mori, she's spotted you!"

"You don't think I noticed that?" The young puppet master frantically pulled and manipulated the invisible chakra strings to bring his puppet closer. He desperately needed his two-armed Karasu as he evacuated his refuge. _"Of course she spotted me! She followed my chakra strings after I lost concentration for a moment when she caught Karasu with her club."_

Seeing a bright, orange club enter his field of vision, he impulsively flexed a finger to open his puppet's jaw. His mistake cost him, and he realized it a moment too late. Tsume slowed her clubs and tagged his wrists. With his wrists 'broken', he was out of the spar. With a sigh, he finished pulling his puppet towards him and moved towards their temporary sensei. He could only watch as his teammates continued the war game.

Hishu was much slower than his teammates and arrived far too late to be of any assistance. Mori was already knocked out, and Tsume was prepared for the next strike. He gritted his teeth and pushed chakra into his feet. He set his sights on ending the spar in his favor. He pushed aside his infatuation. She'd used that against him far too many times.

He noticed her face drawn towards the distant horizon. She was blind and didn't need to actually look at him, but her clan considered it rude to look away, same as everybody else. Incensed, he forced chakra into his bludgeoning clubs and clapped them together. He prepared to strike as his blood boiled. His clan honor couldn't stand the insult of an opponent looking away.

Matsuri was about to rush forward when Tsume ducked under Hishu's initial barrage and swept his feet out from under him. She brought two outstretched fingers from each hand to tag his temples. With a heavy sigh, Matsuri announced the results. "You're out Hishu; stand down." She wasn't surprised when Kankuro's pupil mumbled under his breath, but she knew the brash youth would listen.

As she approached, she was more concerned with the female pupil. She was willing to use her teammates infatuation with her to her advantage, but she never stooped to insulting them. She was distracted by something else, but Matsuri was forced to admit that she divided her attention very well. "Hey, what's up?"

She shook her head, evidently confused. "I don't know, Matsuri-sensei." She licked her lips and attempted to continue. Her mouth hung open in a flabbergasted expression. It took a few moments to gather her thoughts, and she was thankful for Matsuri and her teammate's patience. Finally, she phrased her observations as a question. "Can water…move?"

Mori and Hishu looked at each other, misunderstanding her. The latter spoke up. "What are you, an idiot? You're the best sensor on our team! You should know better than anybody not only _that_ water moves but _how_ it moves!" He rubbed his upper arm at her response. She punched him, _hard_.

At the sound of clapping, they spun around. Tsume looked up the cliff face in genuine surprise. "No, I don't mean _flow_. I meant _move_…" She paused as she recognized that a consciousness existed within the liquid. "…like a person!" Though blindness meant she couldn't see him, she never detected the water-man change location. He just…appeared behind them.

Sitting halfway up the cliff face, the intruder slowed his claps, so each reverberated through the cavern to punctuate his presence. "I thought I was doing a pretty good job sneaking up, but that girl detected me right away. Bravo!" He laughed mockingly. He stopped after a few moments and blinked. He looked down only to meet their angry glares.

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Ah sorry, sorry… I'm bad at this introduction stuff." He purposely bore his jagged, shark-like teeth as he continued. "You can just call me Suigetsu." He stood and dusted off his pants. With sharp movements betraying his shinobi training, he pushed off from his position and seemed to skate down the crag. When he reached the bottom, he disappeared from view.

Before anybody could blink, he stood directly in front of Tsume. He was bent at the hips as he observed her. She leaned away as his nose nearly touched hers. He was purposely, carelessly invading her personal space. Recovering from her initial, momentary shock, Matsuri rushed to the defense of the genin left temporarily in her care.

She molded chakra to create an ebb and flow and sent it to her feet. With practiced ease, she sent a wave of sand to push the intruder away even as she ran to cover the blind genin. She watched as the intruder only watched the oncoming attack. Nevertheless, she was able to successfully move Tsume away from somebody she feared to be of jonin rank.

When Matsuri looked over her shoulder to see what the three genin were looking at with fear and astonishment, she witnessed Suigetsu crawling out of the freshly created knoll. To her surprise, the sand surrounding his torso was crusted. It was as if the parched ground was wetted then baked. The fact left one question in her mind. Where had the water come from?

As Matsuri and Kankuro's genin took up defensive stances, Suigetsu held up his hands disarmingly. "Wait, wait…" He heaved a breath. They were making it hard to follow orders. "I'm a representative of the independent shinobi team Hawk. You've heard of them?" He waited expectantly for a response, but they showed neither sign of acknowledgement nor ignorance. He shook his head. "Okay, maybe you've heard of our leader." He couldn't resist a sadistic smirk. "He's a former shinobi of the leaf, Uchiha Sasuke."

Matsuri could keep silent no longer. She represented the Kazekage office in her husband's absence, and she wanted the dreadful presence out of Suna as soon as possible. "We've heard about you from intelligence reports. According to our information, you attacked a prominent and well-liked leader from Kumo. You also handed him over to Akatsuki." She narrowed her eyes. "You expect us to believe you're independent when you bow to the enemies of the shinobi world?"

Suigetsu's smirk actually seemed to broaden as his chin lowered to nearly touch his chest. "Isn't this just delicious?" His lips twitched in anticipation. "That blind girl has the potential to be an obstacle or an asset in the future, but you are a riddle I can't quite make my mind up on." He approached unabashed fully expecting some kind of countermeasure.

He was not disappointed. He witnessed no hand signs, and Matsuri barely angled her foot before a sandbank gained a life of its own and rushed toward him like a wave at high tide. The center of the sand wave slowed as it darkened with apparent water. As the mud lost momentum and crumbled, the rest of the sand wave rushed past Suigetsu harmlessly.

As he continued to approach, he pretended to wipe spare flecks of mud and sand from his exposed biceps. "Oh come now, don't you even want to hear what I have to say? I came here for a reason, after all." He shrugged and, without waiting for an answer, continued anyway. "I'm representing Uchiha Sasuke in a certain matter. He wishes to acquire a certain…" He paused as if to collect the right word. "…asset; let's say."

"What could you possible want?" Matsuri practically spat. She tentatively looked to the girl she protected in her arm. She felt her shaking from the immense bloodlust coming from the intruder. She was sure her teammates were experiencing similar helplessness. "Hasn't Akatsuki done enough already?" She had to carefully keep her passions in check. A hot head could easily lose a battle.

Suigetsu tilted his head confidently to one side. "Oh, Akatsuki wants nothing from your little village." He paused and shook his head with a dismissive shrug. "They got what they wanted, and Sasuke-kun wants nothing extravagant from you." He wagged his finger derisively. "What I'm looking for is far more valuable and has _nothing_ to do with your village." He paused to let the insult sink in. "Hyuuga Hanabi is the petite toy I came looking for!"

* * *

Kisame wiped blood and spittle from the corner of his mouth as he took in the sight before him. Even if he had been given the gift of a golden tongue, he doubted he could adequately describe the scene he witnessed. As he stood, his anticipation mounted. He gripped Samehada's sturdy handle and pumped chakra into the massive head cleaver. He etched the panorama set before him into memory, and his excitement only grew to a fever pitch.

_None_ of the rumors gave adequate voice to the infamous guardians of Void. He thought perhaps one or two of the rumors were true, but he was excited to see and _feel_ that they all might well be accurate. They looked like giant men made of stone, but he felt no hostility. They also did not flinch from his immense bloodlust, so they were more than likely artificially animated.

His up curled lips twitched in joyous reverie. "Let's see what we've got here." He paused and crouched in preparation. "Giants? Check." He fed chakra into Samehada. "Strange, stone golems? Check." He pushed off as a giant fist collided with the ground and swung his blade. He managed to clip one of the giant's legs as it sidestepped to avoid the blow. "Immense chakra? Check!" He leapt into the air to avoid another massive fist. "I hope you have more tricks in store! I still can't confirm elemental beasts!" He laughed and bore the fangs in his shark-like mouth.

Detecting an incoming strike, he pushed Samehada forward. As the guardian followed through, he carried his momentum into an upward arc. He felt the air pressure change beneath him as another swing missed him with his trajectory change. He landed with a disgruntled grunt. As he ran up the arm he alighted on, he took a moment to look around.

The four guardians held no qualms about attacking in unison. As they took aim, he noticed they easily projected where he should be and avoided hurting each other. However, they were slow and easy to avoid for somebody of his caliber. They were not living up to their reputation and fearsome beings capable of destroying entire shinobi platoons. As a side note, he observed the statue he passed at Void's border was missing.

Kisame avoided strikes aimed at him while using some as leverage to get closer to his target. He angled Samehada over his head and, with an angry glower, hacked at the neck of the first guardian. He felt the massive collision as it reverberated through his head cleaver and body, but he felt some satisfaction as he fell towards the ground.

The neck of the guardian he attacked held a massive gash. Cracks slowly spread from the newly formed crevice, and the guardian staggered. Kisame laughed as he changed targets. "Well, Madara won't get mad if I destroy one of these worthless toys. Besides, it should be an incentive to Void to call for aid." He skidded to a halt when he noticed the woods were still. Even the guardians refused to move as winds ceased to stir branches and leaves.

"Huh? What's going on?" He swiped at the nearest guardian, but it didn't even attempt to dodge. Samehada cut deep into the stone leg, and the guardian fell to the forest floor without struggle. "You've gotta be kidding me! Is this all you've got? Has Void fallen so far that the people can't even maintain its only line of defense?" Incensed, he rushed towards a third guardian fully intending to crush it.

He was forced to stop as the earth quaked beneath him and wind buffeted him from all around. He tried to keep his eyes open as dirt kicked up by the sudden natural assault collided harmlessly against his rough skin. He watched in confusion as the guardians crumbled before him. He was unsure what to expect next as howling pierced his ears. He gritted his teeth as he prepared to mold chakra for whatever was coming.

* * *

As they walked down the hallway to Junichi's office, Miyagi decided to continue the conversation from Naruto's cell. "I know it's troublesome, but that little demon _is_ right." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Akatsuki would sooner kill you once you hand the jinchuuriki over."

Aina nodded in agreement. "You haven't seen what they're capable of." She lowered her head. "I was able to avoid my last psychological checkup _because_ of that destruction." She raised her head to rest cold eyes on their employer. "If you want to avoid Konoha's wrath like you _say_ you do, I recommend you let us brainwash that little demon and release him to Sharingan Kakashi."

Junichi chuckled. "As I said, Akatsuki smells of desperation." He held up a hand to forestall any argument. "I am also not stupid enough to walk into negotiations without a backup plan." His lips twitched in mild anticipation. "I hired a professional mediator, and I ensured he had a positive relationship to minimize any possible risk."

Before Miyagi or Aina could voice any further concerns, the granite floor before them bubbled. A human-shaped figure erupted from the floor. After a moment, the stone cracked and fell away to reveal a shinobi of the cloud. He glowered angrily at Junichi. "Is this the Yorukage you mentioned?" He laughed indignantly. "These meek flies don't look like they can do much in a fight!"

"Calm yourself Fugui-san." Junichi chided. "I already told you I have no interest in a fight." He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm only an old man looking forward to a comfortable retirement. This land has become too stuffy for my lofty ambitions. No, I suppose it is more accurate to say Old Tree never fit me."

Fugui released an angry harrumph. "There's no convincing you." He shot the Yorukage pair a disdainful glower. "If you rely on the weak, you'll only fail." He returned his attention to Junichi. "Don't forget that. You're balancing on a thin line, and _I _won't be victim to your negative repercussions." He turned with a flourish as he prepared hand signs to melt into the cave floor.

"It seems to me…" Miyagi started, interrupting the shinobi of the cloud. "…_you're_ the one relying on others." He stepped forward showing a level of confidence that startled Fugui. "By our standards, wouldn't you say Junichi is the weak one?" With a growl, the reprimanded shinobi disappeared the same way he came. "Troublesome."

"Did you really need to do that?" Aina sighed. Her partner shrugged in response. Cracking her knuckles she looked to the floor directly below her feet. "That sounded like a challenge to me!" Miyagi backed Junichi away. Before their employer could say anything, Aina appeared to punch the ground. "I don't like challenges!"

When she pulled her fist back, Junichi noticed her fore and middle fingers were extended, and two holes appeared in the rock where they penetrated. Fugui seemed to burst from the ground, and he held his head in pain. His eyes were tightly shut as his palms completely covered his ears. A small trickle of blood ran from one side of his nose to the edge of his lips.

Curious, Junichi looked between the triumphant expression on Aina's face and obviously pained Fugui. Though he hired shinobi in the past, he had never actually seen a clash between two. Licking his lips, he sought to sate his curiosity. "What happened just now? I failed to see Aina-san land a blow."

"Genjutsu." Miyagi answered simply. When he only received a confused expression from their employer, he rolled his eyes. "Troublesome." He nodded to his partner as Fugui started recovering.

Aina rolled her shoulders. "It's rather simple, actually. We could tell Fugui was still in the room, so I crafted a simple genjutsu to respond to his challenge." She looked at the short shinobi, eyes still half lidded. "I used sound to lower his defenses, then I simply used brilliant, flashing lights to temporarily blind him."

Junichi shook his head to show a lack of understanding. He gestured with his hands to ask them to slow down. "I am not foolish enough to hire ninja without properly researching." He looked directly in Aina's eyes. "My research indicated that genjutsu tricks the opponent's sense of sight. It is a powerful method of lowing one's guard and limiting any possible response."

Miyagi sighed. "Really… Troublesome." He leaned against the nearby cave wall. "If it was that simple, Yorukage would not be feared in the underworld." Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he continued. "We aren't the typical black market rogue shinobi. We specialize more in subterfuge than raw destruction."

"Right." Aina continued. "Besides, understanding genjutsu isn't as simple as that." She angrily shook a finger at their employer. "It takes years of study and mastery, and even then you have to be careful. If your opponent notices your attempt, it's quite easy to take advantage of your momentary weakness.

"All right, I admit it…" Fugui grumbled. "I didn't mask my presence, _and_ I was expecting it." As he rubbed his ear in a vain attempt to rid it of the annoying ringing, he turned his attention to Miyagi. "Besides, I'm not _relying_ on him. He knows very well I'm _using_ him. More importantly, he knows _why_ I'm using him." He walked past them waving over his shoulder.

"He is an interesting character." Junichi stated simply as he resumed his course for his office. "We should continue. Your contract needs to be updated, after all." Miyagi and Aina followed after him, casting one last glance over their shoulders.

Fugui ignored their final glances as he made his way down the corridor. He stopped at the portal to Naruto's cell. One of the guards warily approached him. "Junichi-sama's orders, we canna le' cha enter. The merchandise in 'ere's too valuable."

The guards looked to one another when he didn't reply. When the second approached, the shinobi standing before them crumbled into a pile of rocks of the same composition as the maze of caverns they occupied. Startled, they ran toward the door and tried to open it. It was blocked from the inside, and they knew they could do nothing.

* * *

"What's your game, Raikage?" Kakashi stated calmly. He looked up from the wall he was leaning on. They were on another recess after hearing further intelligence and questions of necessity, and he wanted a few answers. "On the outside, you're aloof and appear to want dominance in action. However, you're really stalling quite a bit. I know you're stubborn, but I never took you to be more stubborn than Tsuchikage."

The cloud leader looked to his subordinates. He was at once disappointed to see they were startled at his seemingly sudden appearance and impressed at the interim's skill. "You reflect positively on your village, Kakashi. I'm sure your Hokage would be proud of your representation."

Kakashi pushed off from the wall with a sigh. "You're being evasive." He paused when his own bodyguards appeared in response to a sudden spike in chakra. "Now, now, there's no need to get aggressive. I just want to get to know somebody I'll be working with."

"He's right, stand down!" The Raikage demanded. His subordinates immediately loosened their guard, but they remained poised. They were well trained and prepared for any underhanded tricks. "Besides, I'm not being stubborn. I'm making sure we have all the details before we continue forward. Also as you said, Tsuchikage is a stubborn, old fool."

Kakashi smiled lightly. "I don't wish to insult either of your wills." He managed to maintain an amiable expression even as his atmosphere turned dangerous. His next words underscored the shift in emotion. "You know as well as anybody that Akatsuki is dangerous and must be dealt with. Konoha doesn't make alliances lightly, and we are loathe to share intelligence if it is only ignored."

Raikage allowed his lips to curl into a vicious smirk. "Oh, Akatsuki _isn't_ getting away with anything!" His subordinates backed away as his aura darkened. "They killed poor Yugito Nii-chan!" He rested dangerous eyes on Konoha's interim Hokage. "You're last Uchiha captured Kira Bii-chan! Can you tell me why, then, I should rush to a decision or help this summit conclude in haste?"

With his exposed eye still upturned as the only indication of his smile, he calmly answered. "He was my cute, little genin, but it looks like I'll have to kill him." Raikage's aura returned to normal, some puzzlement on his face. "If you only want to make sure everything is well crafted, then I see no problem. I only want to know Konoha isn't wasting time here."

Raikage narrowed his eyes. "I see. It's personal." He released a heavy breath. "I won't make a hasty decision and isolate Tsuchikage." He walked past Kakashi, and his subordinates followed. "In truth, I think we need every village on board with us. We don't know Akatsuki's true strength, and we know little of their intentions. If we can secure Iwa, we can also secure every village's alliances."

Kakashi nodded as cloud's superior shinobi walked by. "I thought it was something like that, but I wanted to confirm. No way have you abandoned allies you fought so adamantly for." He turned and walked to the meeting room. He felt resolution was close at hand. They probably had another few days of arguments left before potentially weeks of further deliberations on finite details.

"Raikage-sama, are you sure that was wise?" The subordinate paused. "I mean revealing yourself like that. He is _the_ Sharingan Kakashi."

The cloud superior laughed. "He represents the will of all leaf shinobi in these proceedings." He paused and looked out a nearby window. "Besides, I don't want to be remembered as the man who abandoned both family and friends. I'd only be laughed at for rejecting my principles."

* * *

Naruto gazed forward when he felt another presence in the room. He resisted the natural urge to look behind him because he knew he wouldn't see the intruder. While he didn't recognize whoever was behind him, he knew the chakra belonged to a shinobi. He growled under his breath when he recognized blatant hatred in the man's bearing, and he felt his muscles and chakra tighten defensively.

"Oh, I've caused alarm to the leaf's little demon." The shinobi stated disparagingly. "You jinchuuriki are all the same. You think you're better than everybody else just because you're demons inhabiting human look-a-like shells." He paused to let his words sink in. "Well, doesn't this just serve you right? You'll finally be truly sacrificed for a greater purpose."

When Naruto remained silent, the shinobi sighed. "You're an obstinate one." He chuckled. "You probably think you can get out of this. Ha!" He spat indignantly. "You can try all you like. Pure force simply won't work in this situation." He was silent for several long moments, and Naruto heard rocks shuffling against rocks behind him. He swallowed in curiosity and some anxious anticipation.

"I heard you already experienced it." The hidden shinobi started again suddenly. "Apparently that Yorukage rogue created a genjutsu to prove their value." He chuckled, knowing full well he hid the pair's true identity. "The mercenaries Junichi hired don't know the first thing about shinobi and our jutsu, but they know _any_ of our 'tricks' are valuable to the right buyer."

He tossed something in the air and caught it. As he spoke, he repeated the action several times. "It's a very rare mineral, and the crystals it forms have a unique property." He laughed and caught the object with a harsh finality. "They store chakra and jutsu!"

Naruto tried to restrain a gasp of surprise, but the shinobi didn't miss a beat. "The little genjutsu that trapped you was set by Yorukage and stored in that little crystal the mercenaries hit you with." He threw the object he was holding, and it landed just outside of Naruto's reach. It was a blue crystal, vaguely reminiscent of a branch of flame.

"It's called aokasou." He paused and waited for some kind of reply. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he bristled with anger. "There's a limit for how obstinate you can be! You know you can't escape! You should be squirming and begging for your life!" When he received no reply, he forced a calming breath. It did not help; he still felt irritation.

"I notice you haven't taken a step towards me since you entered." Naruto started without preamble. "The aokasou stores chakra and jutsu, so they must be valuable because they can use it later. The light emitted by the formation above me isn't suppressing or absorbing my chakra, but it is disrupting my ability to mold it."

The shinobi behind him grunted in mild amusement. "A lot of good that does you." He released another guttural laugh. "So you know what's keeping you here? Big deal!" He stomped angrily. "You still can't get out of here! You're still trapped! You still lose!" He paused and waited for another reply. "Tch, well you're more pitiful than I thought."

Naruto smirked and tilted his chin near his chest. He started with a chuckle. "Heh, I was wondering when you'd grow bored." He closed his eyes and drew the consciousness sealed within him closer to the surface. "You said force wasn't an option, right?" He opened the connection between his chakra and the bijuu locked away. "You don't know me very well!"

_"Wait kit..."_ Kyuubi no Kitsune's voice chided. _"…follow my lead. You should be able to maintain control with more of my chakra, but you can't just rely on your force of will like before. If you're not careful, you'll just go berserk."_

Naruto took a deep breath. He didn't know how much he could trust the seemingly reformed bijuu. Still, he was willing to give her lead a chance. He watched as she flashed images of his friends through his mind's eye. As he surrounded himself with the Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra cloak, he felt different. As his senses heightened, he felt the hidden shinobi step back in fear and hatred.

As the first tail formed, he noticed he couldn't see the chakra cloak like he usually could. He didn't know if it was the wash of light or the properties of the aokasou. As the second tail formed, he felt a strong urge to protect, and the urge associated itself with images of his friends. As the third tail formed, he felt his restraints slacken, but they did not break. A thought occurred to him. _"Does Junichi know how much control I have over Kyuubi's chakra?"_

As the fourth tail formed, the restraints lost cohesion. He broke free, and the aokasou above him reverberated in strain. As the crystalline structure shattered, fragments fell like blue snowflakes dancing to the earth. Before the hidden shinobi could respond, Naruto broke through the door and escaped down the corridor.

The guards outside rushed in to find Fugui on his hands and knees. Sweat drenched his exposed skin, and he could only quiver in fear. He was reminded of days long past. "That brat…" He choked on his fears as he stood. "…is just as frightful as those monstrous brats I was forced to teach and discipline…" He swallowed hard as he thought about his options.

* * *

A man in a white laboratory coat looked up from his clipboard when he heard the door behind him open. He lifted his charcoal tinted goggles when a man stepped out from it. His lips curled into a wicked grin when he recognized the robes of Akatsuki. He powerful man before the scientist was an executive guest, but he was so much more. The orange and black swirled mask precisely identified him.

"Ah, Madara-sama! Have you come to see the results of our last experiment?" When his only answer was an angry aura, the scientist chuckled. "There are no prying ears here, so why insist on being called Tobi? The cover doesn't suit you anyway."

"I might not have to hide behind the cover of an idiot, but I rather you call me 'Tobi' even here, director. I may have personally recruited you, but _you _hired the rest of your staff. They don't know who I am, and I don't want them to know my identity."

The laboratory director laughed. His bout of merriment was short-lived when he noticed Akatsuki's leader did not join in. "Aw well, it doesn't matter if you trust them. They are truly the finest minds I have to offer." He chuckled. "They also hold no qualms about completing your work." He looked at the clipboard in his hands. "I must say, the results are _most _interesting."

"You've met with some success." Madara purposely showed his impatience. He wanted the laboratory director to get the point. He also wanted to properly build and prioritize his schedule. Two jinchuuriki were still free, but he wasn't as concerned about them. The most problematic fact was the loss of key members.

"I'm sure you know, _Tobi-_sama…" The director started sardonically. "…the bijuu are unique chakra entities. We don't know how they achieved such an existence, but they are certainly immortal." He laughed. "That foolish Orochimaru took that immortality research and _really _thought we just let him get away?"

Madara sighed. "We needed Orochimaru's research." He paused. "Have you combined it with Yumiko's research?"

The laboratory director's smile widened to bear his rotting teeth. "Now _that_ is a story!" He laughed. "Of course, your 'precious' little war hawks gave us some good information, too." He threw his arms out as if he was about to grasp a large idea. "It's true! Immortality might finally be within our grasp!" His laughter continued and echoed through the underground complex.

"…but…" The scientist started somewhat hesitantly. "…I think there's been a delay in plans, _Tobi_-sama." He didn't miss the dangerous killer intent directed towards him. He only tilted his head to one side. "Trying to rebuild your organization?" He chuckled and tossed the clipboard he was holding to Madara's feet. "I think you'll like him."

Akatsuki's leader never bent down, but, when he held up his hand, he held the very same clipboard the laboratory director tossed to him. "You think I'm just going to take on one of your suggestions?" In spite of his words, he flipped the top page to look at the content underneath. "I let you pick your own team, but that doesn't mean you can select _my_ subordinates."

The laboratory director's laughter grew guttural. "Oh, don't take my word for it. You can test him yourself." He tapped his chin in mock thought. "You could have him take out a target, or you could have him prove his chakra capacity will help you seal the remaining bijuu." He shrugged. "I think you'll find him very useful."

Madara thought about it for a moment, even through the laboratory director's incessant laughter. He didn't seem to mind the seeming personal tick. Finally, he handed the clipboard back to the scientist and answered. "Very well, introduce me to this Kaede you have so much faith in. I think I have the perfect task to test him."

The laboratory director's laughter only grew louder and quicker. Behind him, a door opened. The silhouette of a large of a large shinobi appeared in the portal, and the cries of desperate and pained people erupted from the open passage. As the door closed, it sealed the screams for help completely out. Madara observed the man for a long moment before he beckoned him nearer.

* * *

Once Miyagi and Aina entered Junichi's office, the door closed behind them. He sat in his chair and shuffled through files and documents as they settled in. Their eyes once again scanned the decorations. There were no hints of his vocation while under Old Tree's former daimyo. Ornaments hinted at how close they were. Yoruage knew that whatever Junichi did allowed him to cozy up to somebody the people of the land considered a petty tyrant.

"Genjutsu are a lot more convenient than I initially thought." Junichi started without looking up. He was already filling out a new contract. "I heard ninja could effectively brainwash somebody, but I never really attributed to that particular art." He felt giddy enough to almost giggle like a child. "You are about to make me very rich, and it is practically without consequence!"

Aina practically growled. "Haven't you been listening to us?" She paused and angrily grabbed her hair. "We said that little demon is dangerous!" She swallowed as fear overtook her features, and she fiercely held her arms close in a protective embrace. "He's a true terror…and Akatsuki is courageous or stupid enough to _want_ to fight them!"

Miyagi scratched his upper lip to hide an annoyed tick. "I realize exactly what you hope to gain, but you're asking a bit much. We're willing to brainwash the little demon and send him on his way. If we cause a cave in and that demon has a convenient story, we won't even have to worry about Sharingan Kakashi."

Junichi looked up for a moment before returning to writing the new contract. "I hired you as quickly as I did because I know how to recognize talent. While the last ninja I hired could send shivers down the spines of everybody nearby, they were lousy at sneaking up on even the dimmest mercenaries." He paused and licked the tip of his pen before he continued writing.

"Fugui-san is different. He is obviously weaker, but a discerning eye can see he is far more skilled at hidden kills." He chuckled. "If you ask me, his skills are far more frightening than the vulgar ninja I previously hired." He stopped to look between the Yorukage pair. "You, on the other hand, inspire fear without any need to kill. You have that _particular_ skill I desire this time."

Miyagi sighed. "Even if you say that, we aren't even sure we can catch Sharingan Kakashi in a genjutsu. He is incredibly skilled, even among jonin, and he was exceptional among ANBU." He shook his head with a hint of frustration. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was a candidate for next Hokage."

"Now, now, now…" Junichi started as he walked around his desk waiving a parchment. "You should read this while the ink is still drying." He chuckled as his grin nearly overtook his face. "I think you'll find _this_ contract most interesting."

Aina walked over as Miyagi harshly grabbed the parchment. They read over it as Junichi continued. "The terms are fair. You help me deliver the packages to Akatsuki, and I pay you four times your normal retainer." He held a pen out for them to sign the contract. "Well, I doubt you can turn down such an offer."

Miyagi and Aina looked at each other. After a moment, they seemed to come to a decision. When Miyagi took the pen, Junichi looked exuberant, and Aina looked resigned. As the pen touched the parchment, the three felt a sense of dread rush through their bodies. As their eyes widened, they involuntarily relaxed their muscles and fell to their knees.

As the contract drifted to the floor and pen rolled away, they fought to regain control of their bodies. Yorukage recovered first. They shakily stood and looked to the closed portal. They licked their dry lips in anxious anticipation, and their bodies instinctively prepared for fight or flight. Their psyche heavily rested on the latter option.

* * *

As Naruto raced down the dark corridors, he slowly released the Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra. He felt the tails slowly fade. Before the cloak completely receded, he tried to reach out to Hinata's chakra. Though difficult, he was able to locate her. With renewed purpose, he focused on finding her. Shikamaru and Sakura could handle themselves, so he knew they were safe. However, he had suddenly left Hinata behind, something to berate himself over later.

Once the chakra cloak faded completely, he slowed his pace. He wanted to avoid guard patrols, so he decided to sneak the rest of the way. He ducked around corners and used crates and barrels for cover. He carefully made his way until he was in the same corridor as Hinata. He couldn't help but smirk. He had a lot of information to share.

Besides the rogue shinobi Yorukage, a shinobi bearing the simple of the cloud was with Junichi. Their target also had some connection with Akatsuki, and he was interested in capturing the leaf's jinchuuriki to help with his retirement plans. Junichi was also using aokasou to further his goals. With their ability to store jutsu, they could be a significant problem.

As Naruto approached where he felt Hinata, he picked up the sound of people talking. He couldn't make out the voices, but he knew he was slowly nearing them. He carefully molded his chakra to prepare for a possible confrontation. He doubted Hinata was in any danger. She could handle herself quite well, and the mercenaries were really pushovers.

At a near crawl, he finally pinpointed Hinata. She was in the same general vicinity as whoever was talking. He was able to make out their voices, so he knew they weren't Yorukage. He also knew the shinobi of the cloud wasn't nearby. Even knowing they were likely no more than weak mercenaries, his chest still tightened in worry. Involuntarily, he extracted a kunai and prepared to rush in.

"Tha brat jus' won't stop cryin'." Naruto paused when one mercenary spoke. He shook his head and continued.

The other mercenary shushed his partner. "Ya know what'll happen if'n the boss hears ya talkin' 'bout the merchandise li' that."

Naruto paused. He couldn't believe what he just heard. He shook his head. They couldn't have been talking about a person like cheap merchandise. He continued forward and didn't hesitate as he wiped sweat from his chin.

"I know tha boss thin's the brat'll bring us some huge profit, but I canna put up with that cons'ant bawlin'." He pounded a fist into an open palm. "Come on! Tha boss'll ne'er know if'n we careful."

Naruto felt rage boil up. "I'unno. He's kinna small. Roughin' 'im up a might'n be a bit much. Maybe we jus' scare tha brat a li'l'."

Naruto completely forgot about stealth as he stood from his hiding spot. The mercenaries looked at him with a start as they drew their weapons. His rage actually seemed to roll off him with physical force, and they were frozen in fear. His lust for blood overpowered their senses as every muscle in their body stiffened. Their bladders emptied putrid urea instinctively as bubbling red chakra slowly seeped from the jinchuuriki's skin.

* * *

Inside Naruto's mind, he seethed with unrelenting anger. He felt as if his thoughts took physical form as they reverberated through his skull. "They're treating human life like something to be bought and sold!" He knew he was wanted by Akatsuki, and they would even pay for his capture. However, he knew the risk. He could fight to prevent his capture, and, if they did capture him, his own lack of skill was all he could blame.

The mercenaries were talking about something different all together. They were talking about a child. "They want to sell a child?" He remembered his own parents. They loved him so much that they were willing to sacrifice themselves for him. His mother died to give him life, and his father died to make him a hero. "Children should be with their parents... They should be surrounded by their parents' love…"

"Kit, calm down!" The female Kyuubi no Kitsune pleaded. She grasped the collar around her neck. It seared against her skin. "Don't think about unnecessary things! Think about _saving_ that child!" She gasped in pain and resisted the urge to claw at the accursed seal. "You're Uzumaki Naruto! You're going to be Hokage!"

Naruto only released a guttural in response. He turned to face the consciousness sealed within him. His expression frightened her. She felt her knees buckle, but she remained standing. He didn't hear her. He only heard his hate filled words. He only felt rage burden him with immeasurable weight. He reached out, and she tried to resist.

He ruthlessly grabbed one of her tails and pulled with force she was unfamiliar with him using. "Give me your chakra…" The seal upon her neck burned with the same intensity as his boiling emotions. She looked at him pleadingly, but he was lost to his own inner chaos. She bowed her head with no choice but to relent.

As Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra rushed to and surrounded and engulf Naruto, her face contorted into voiceless pain. She gave in to weakness and fell to her hands and knees. She gasped as if desperate for air, and she pulled at the collar as if constricted her breathing. She closed her eyes as she tried to bear with the pain.

As Naruto floated to the surface of his mind, Kyuubi no Kitsune reverted to her vulpine form. Finally, she released a bellowing yowl of pain. Her eyes appeared awash with flame and blood, and she fought to regain her footing.

* * *

The patrolling mercenaries barely recognized the shinobi before them. They knew Junichi wanted him captured in as close to one piece as possible, but they seriously doubted they had any chance against whatever creature had taken over him. He stood before them completely transformed, and they had no words to describe his present state. They only knew there was little chance to escape. They were like cornered mice.

Naruto was bathed in bubbling red chakra. He swished three tails behind him, and the stub of the fourth was already forming. His fingers were elongated, and he felt his fingernails dig into his palms like the sharpest claws. The kunai he was holding only moments before melted into useless scrap, and he discarded the lump of metal without concern.

He took in a deep breath, and the mercenaries could only watch in trepidation. When he released the breath, he yowled a blood-curdling cry. The mercenaries' will snapped in that instant, and they attempted to flee. Naruto immediately pounced and caught both. He stretched his chakra arms to pin them against opposite walls.

His breath was so hot that it condensed and added to his frightful appearance. He turned towards one of the mercenaries and squeezed. He cried out in pain until the chakra claws ripped through his shirt. For a moment, his body couldn't translate the new sensation. When his brain processed the new world of pain the poisonous chakra caused, he practically screamed his lungs out in abject pain.

His partner could only watch as the events unfolded. He knew he was next, and he knew there was nothing they could do. They were going to die, and there was nothing they could do to prevent it. He closed his eyes and put his tongue between his incisors. At least if he was going to die, his death would be quicker than the unfortunate soul on the other side of the room.

Before he could carry out his plan, the door holding the other captive opened. From it, Hinata emerged carrying a child piggyback. The child was unconscious, and Hinata could only gape at Naruto. She was afraid true, but she was afraid for him rather than of him. Before she could respond, he dropped his captives, and they immediately and desperately crawled, got up, and ran away.

She looked at him and gasped at the sight. The chakra cloak melted away his skin which quickly regenerated, and four tails swished behind him. As she observed him, he launched into the air directly towards her. His eyes were still filled with rage and hatred, and he drove his claws to knife her forehead. Resolute not to abandon him, she stood firm and awaited whatever her fate was.

* * *

I'm writing the Shadow Council parts a little different. I'm concentrating on certain recesses rather than keeping it along the same time stamp as everything else.

I'd like to note that the main reason Tsume beat her teammates is because she is constantly being underestimated, partly due to Kankuro fretting over her previous injury. Also, hot heads always misjudge the situation.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,091  
Story Page Count: 14.5

**Terms:**

aokasou - blue pyre: The aokasou were first discovered and refined in Old Tree. They store chakra and jutsu.


	41. Chapter 38: Reaction

I rage at completely resetting my store immediately after the so-called Golden Quarter. To everybody who reads this story, please be kind to us retail zombies. We put up with much.

* * *

**Chapter 38:  
Reaction  
**

Hinata looked the mercenary dead in the eyes as his glance passed over where she was seated. She knew he saw her, but a careful and deceptive genjutsu made him believe nothing unusual was in the room. As the mercenary finished inspecting the room and left, she breathed a sigh of relief. Since she put up the genjutsu, she watched three inspections clear the room. She noted one, important difference in this particular inspection.

The mercenaries barred the door after they left. A small smile flitted across her lips. She was waiting for just that opportunity. They didn't bar the door because they knew she was in there. They barred the door because they _believed_ she _was not_, and they wanted to limit access to the room. They were trying to make any future sweeps easier.

Hinata looked to the small boy she had rescued earlier. He was curled up, and his head rested on her lap. She then turned her attention to Naruto. She had propped him up next to her. He leaned forward, unconscious and unaware. She looked at him worriedly and wondered if his psyche might have been damaged. She closed her eyes and remembered the look on his face as his claw-like fingers grew closer.

_Hinata looked Naruto in the eyes. He seemed suspended in midair as if by some indefinable force. If she had activated her kekkei genkai, she would have seen him seated on chakra tails. She dared not take her eyes from his. His entire body seemed to convulse as his sharp, elongated nails grated against the finish of her hitai-ate._

Hinata rubbed the metal plate where Naruto's nails nearly penetrated. The gash wasn't deep, but it was covered with nicks and scratches. She didn't know what stopped him, but she was glad for it. She hadn't been afraid for her life. She felt like she could give up everything for him, and she nearly had when Pein invaded their home village. No, she was glad he stopped because she could not stand to see the hurt in his eyes if he had actually injured her or worse.

_Hinata witnessed through his eyes the turmoil he anguished through deep in his heart. Naruto felt rage and hatred, but he knew it was misdirected. He felt humiliation and guilt, but she held only compassion and understanding in her steadfast eyes. He felt confused. She smiled. He felt some joy. She reached out to touch his cheek, and he instinctively retreated._

Hinata couldn't resist reaching out and stroking Naruto's cheek now that he rested beside her. She traced one of the lines defining his unique birthmark. She hesitated when she saw his eyes open. She opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped. She paused as she collected her thoughts when she saw the slit and slanted eyes. She smiled slightly and tilted her head warmly. "Hello, Kyuubi-chan."

_Slowly, ever so painfully slowly, the painful red chakra receded. Hinata watched as the red chakra first receded from where her hand cupped Naruto's cheek. As the red chakra faded, his tails dispersed into the ether, and he gradually lowered to the ground. She wrapped an arm around him as his eyes lolled and head rolled. As the last of the red chakra bubbled into oblivion, she caught his cataleptic form and breathed a sigh of gratitude._

"How did you know?" Naruto's lips moved; though, his body remained listless. His eyelids still drooped as he strained to look at her.

"Your eyes are showing." Hinata answered deceptively. She looked at him for several long moments. It was obvious the bijuu was not amused; though, she witnessed neither distaste nor malice. She wondered at the distinctly neutral expression for several, long moments. His lips moved to question her again, but she stopped him with a gentle shake of her head.

_Hinata immediately checked Naruto's vitals. She resisted the urge to panic when she detected his erratic heartbeat and pained breathing. She lowered the sleeping child from her back to the ground before giving aid to the man her heart belonged to. As she rolled him onto his back, her eyes fixed on his bared fangs. She swallowed with sudden awareness of the changes the Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra put him through. Then, he spoke. "Stupid kit…"_

In all honesty, Hinata had barely heard what passed his lips at the time, but they rang clear as a crystal in her memory. She looked Naruto square in the eyes knowing Kyuubi no Kitsune was somehow the one in control. "You chided Naruto-kun, and your chakra hasn't completely receded." She sighed slightly. "Somehow, I remember your presence. You're…" She paused for the right word or phrase. "…different."

His eyes moved with his focus. It was unusual, almost unnerving, to watch him think and talk as his body remained listless, motionless. His lips parted again when his pupils again rested on her face. "He was already unconscious by the time my words reached his lips. If he were not completely subdued, I would not even be on the surface."

She nodded, and her smile brightened slightly. "You've done this before." She chuckled when she received the questioning glare in return. "You took control and helped save his life." She leaned back, hitting the crown of her head against the cave wall. "I don't know what you did, but you brought him back." She paused. "Thank you. Truly, thank you…"

_Hinata looked at Naruto confusedly. However, her puzzlement quickly subsided as dread settled into the pit of her stomach. He was not breathing! Her eyes widened as she lowered her ear to his chest. "No…" She looked around frantically, forgetting for a moment she was in enemy territory. Before she forgot herself in alarm, her training kicked in, and she automatically looked for a safe area to hide and recover. She picked up the child and carefully lifted her teammate by a shoulder. She had to partially drag him along, but she was able to enter a room long before footsteps echoed down the corridor._

Naruto chuckled grimly. "Honestly, kit's too stubborn to die." He released a disheartened breath. "This fuuin makes it impossible to do anything on my own _unless_ this kind of situation arises…" His glare almost seemed to intensify in spite of and contrary to his unmoving body. "Before he fell unconscious, he withdrew so far inward…" He paused. "Well, you know what happened."

Hinata nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, but she found the words stalled in her throat. She pursed her lips together for a moment as her mind changed tracks. "In the academy, we were all told, repeatedly, horrible tales of how the Kyuubi no Kitsune was a terrible force of destruction. When the Kyuubi no Kitsune swings its tails, natural disasters, like tsunamis and earthquakes, swallow up whole villages." She lowered her head. "I earnestly believed you were a blight on Naruto-kun's life even after you begged for help in Hokage-sama's office."

_"Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun!" Hinata was nearly hysterical as she lay the child down and returned her attention to Naruto. While finding a place to rest, his heart had stopped. She tried to remember any training, but she was no medical shinobi. She dabbled in medicinal herbs and ointments, but she never learned even the rudimentary scanning jutsu. As she placed her hands to start chest compressions, she felt hot chakra slowly seep through his skin._

Naruto's body twitched. It almost appeared as if he wanted to shrug, but his muscles just would not cooperate. He settled on a sigh. "I don't really see any reason for your opinion to change. I haven't really given you any incentive to believe I'm different from your village's bedtime stories."

Hinata shook her head. "No, things have changed. I think you'd be surprised yourself." She was somehow amused by the confusion alight in his eyes. "I felt you that time Pein had Naruto-kun trapped." She breathed and closed her eyes. She remembered. Through pain and a strange, stinging clarity, she remembered. "It felt abrupt, purposeful. Your chakra changed, and Naruto-kun won against unrelenting rage and anguish."

_Hinata worriedly looked at the chakra that seemed to flow around her hands. It rippled and flowed like clear river water around an obstruction. She hastily moved her hands and continued to observe the unusual change. She blinked as familiarity took hold. She remembered a recent change in Naruto's chakra. She was no dedicated sensor-type, but she remembered his chakra. It was so bright, brighter than anybody else she knew. She smiled and knew her precious love was going to be okay as his chest heaved with renewed vigor._

"I can't really read people, not like Naruto-kun." Hinata pressed folded hands against her chest over her heart. With her eyes closed, she looked like she was praying. "Everybody could tell the malevolent presence just suddenly disappeared, but I could tell he was still using your chakra. It was different, and, like earlier, it saved his life."

_Hinata rose and walked the small room. She couldn't move easily with Naruto unconscious. Once he awoke, it was another matter moving with just a small child. For the time being, they were trapped in the room she chose. Nodding her head, she decided on a course of action. She had to fortify the room as best she could. Looking to her beloved, she knew the fortification had to be subtle enough that it was not detected and leave them completely unaffected._

Naruto's eyes panned the room. He appraised the artisanship of whoever hollowed out the cavern and, most recently, fortified it. "Clever." He finally concluded. "Your layers of genjutsu use just enough chakra to blend into the flow of the land, and they stack to give any _entering_ party the allusion that nobody is here, or at least they aren't looking at anything out of the ordinary. This way, kit won't be affected by the genjutsu when he wakes up."

Hinata bristled at the compliment. She knew Kyuubi no Kitsune was speaking, but she couldn't stop her cheeks from glowing seeing his lips move. "It's really nothing." She was sure Kurenai would be impressed as well, but she set the layers up easily. She thought that maybe her clan's kekkei genkai ultimately aided her. It all felt too easy, almost surreal.

_Hinata approached the door while listening for footfalls. She heard potential threats approach as she dragged Naruto and the child into the small space they currently occupied. When she didn't hear anything, she activated her Byakugan. She felt some relief when she saw nobody in the immediate vicinity, but she knew the strange material that composed the caverns and tunnels restricted her extended sight. She pulled out several slips of paper and made a one-hand seal. As she concentrated chakra into the pieces of parchment, the fuuin appeared, and they straightened as if rigid._

Hinata looked up when she heard voices outside the wood and iron door. Naruto's eyes focused as best he could, but the door was in his periphery vision. They concentrated on the seals as they pulsed slightly. Hinata sighed in some relief. "They're probably just some mercenaries." She paused and thought for a moment. "Since we aren't affected by the genjutsu, the fuuin appears to either pulse or fade based on the threat."

Naruto acknowledged her with a blink. "I noticed it earlier. When I tried to make out the genjutsu, the fuuin seemed to fade and spread its effect over a wider area." He blinked slowly and remained silent in thought for several moments. "They seem to be looking for that child you rescued and kit." He paused again. "I know why they want kit, so I'm curious what they want that child for.

_Hinata finished drawing the last symbol for the top layer of her genjutsu when she heard footfalls outside. Judging the weight and distance of each step, she guessed a group of four or five were running. Ignoring them for the moment, she made the necessary hand seals and animated the symbols with her chakra. The symbols flowed together to form fuuin, and the fuuin flowed together and sank into the rock and moss covered cavern floor. Wiping sweat from her brow, she rose and approached the door. She heard voices and figured it was high time to find out what she could._

Hinata didn't know where to start. She looked worriedly to Naruto. She knew Kyuubi no Kitsune was calmer, but she was apprehensive all the same. With a heavy breath, she related what she heard. "I'm sure you heard Junichi wants to trade Naruto to Akatsuki to fund his dream retirement." He blinked in acknowledgement, and she continued. "Apparently, he wants the same thing from this child."

_"We gotta find tha' brat, or boss'll be havin' our heads." Hinata barely made out the burly accent of the first mercenary. "Tha' ninja demon, too." "Ah, who cares 'bout tha' freak?" Hinata blinked. Obviously, their target, Junichi, wanted both the child she rescued and Naruto. She also had to control her emotions. She did not like what they called him. Instead of painfully breaking them, she continued to listen._

Hinata shook her head. "Akatsuki will pay a hefty sum for Naruto, and they'll apparently award non-shinobi a lot more." She turned her attention to the sleeping child. "What they want from him is just cruel." She tilted her head one way in thought. "He's the only child of a jinchuuriki, and they want him to _experiment_…" She spat the word as if it were profane. "…to see if he retained any of the bijuu's chakra and power."

Naruto looked down as he gathered his thoughts. After a moment, he returned his attention to Hinata. However, he could only see her hair and shoulder. "No village has ever allowed a jinchuuriki to have children. They think it's too dangerous without their special fuuin to control the bijuu. Akatsuki _might_ think it's an opportunity to study bijuu chakra without any restrictions or control mechanisms, but it may be a trap to lure other jinchuuriki in."

Hinata nodded. She agreed. To her, Akatsuki was disgusting enough. They used anger and hatred to spread further anger and hatred. They were trying to bring the world to war. They could look like heroes while they led people like sheep to their deaths. She did not know what Akatsuki's goals were, but she was going to fight them. Her own, admittedly, irrational fear of Kumo had to be a lesson for her.

She looked at Naruto and wondered when his consciousness would return. She did not fear or hate the Kyuubi no Kitsune, at least not anymore, but she worried about him nonetheless. "He probably fell so deep inside his subconscious because he was afraid of himself." She nearly yelped when he spoke suddenly.

Hinata looked at him and smiled. "Maybe, but he'll realize he's just being silly and come out of it." She hoped more than knew, but Kyuubi no Kitsune seemed to agree with her. She heaved a breath and thought about their situation. There was no way they could move in their current condition. She also wanted to learn what information her teammate had gathered. She looked away, concentrating on the child she rescued, in an attempt to hide her anxiety and fear.

* * *

"What makes you think we'll hand over Hanabi-chan?" Tsume's body went rigid as she answered automatically. Her outburst surprised Matsuri and snapped her teammates from their fear-induced stupor. She stomped her foot and broke free from their temporary sensei's protective grasp. Even tired and worn from their training exercise, she was mad and ready to fight for her new friend.

Suigetsu whistled. "That's some spirit." He turned his attention to Matsuri. "However, I'm afraid this is a conversation between adults." He did not even flinch when two heavy clubs intersected his midsection. He looked amusedly as Hishu looked him with no small measure of fright and bewilderment. "Now see, that's the problem with brats."

He lifted his hand, and Matsuri's eyes went wide. Without thinking, she rushed to the young man's aid. She pushed him out of the way just in time to receive the assailant's full strike. "No!" Hishu cried as Matsuri rolled in the sand. When she came to a stop and curled up to clutch her stomach, he returned his attention to Suigetsu and growled. Then, he noticed his bludgeoning clubs were in the foreign shinobi's hands.

When Suigetsu moved his attention elsewhere, Hishu followed his gaze. Mori launched his own attack when Matsuri came to his teammate's aid and distracted the foreigner, and the 'water man' had no time left to dodge. Instead of trying, he actually grinned menacingly. Hishu thought he had no idea how deadly Karasu could be.

Even if it was missing poison due to the training session, the puppet could tackle a full-grown shinobi to the ground. It slammed into Suigetsu, but the foreign shinobi did not even flinch. As the puppet's blades impaled his body, his grin only widened and morphed into an excited smirk. Before Mori could retract his two-armed Karasu, his target seemed to explode and morph into dozens of water projectiles.

The genin had no time to respond to the unorthodox attack. Even Tsume, who could sense it, was at a loss. The unusual projectiles pierced their arms and legs, and they were pinned to the ground. They watched helplessly as their assailant reformed from gathered puddles. He stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders, mockingly pretending the exertion had worn him out. He picked up Mori's Karasu and shook his head.

"I'll never understand the sand's desire to play with such simple toys." His arm turned to water and seemed to swallow the puppet. "It does have blades, so I guess they got one thing right." His smirk changed to something maniacal. The genin heard the puppet grown and creak. Before long, water pressure caused it to cave in and crumble into hundreds of useless pieces.

Suigetsu returned his arm to normal and let the broken weapon fall to the ground. The wood was soaked and water stressed. The metal showed accelerated signs of oxidation. He inspected the wreckage for a moment before turning his attention to Mori. "You should really take better care of your toys." Before he could react, a massive sand bank swallowed him.

Stunned genin turned their attention to their temporary sensei. Matsuri still held her side, but she held one hand outstretched and taut. She wore an expression of unabashed anger and hatred. Their assailant was _not_ taking Suna seriously! Without hesitation, she balled and twisted her hand. As a sign of finality, the sandbank constricted harshly and twisted unevenly. The immense pressure would have crushed any normal person, and the shearing force should have easily broken a body.

Suigetsu was obviously not a normal person. The sandbank almost appeared to be a massive sponge as water flowed out of it. As the foreign shinobi reformed, the sandbank actually looked like it was squeezing the water rivulets out that flowed into and formed him. While the genin felt shattered, even Matsuri was losing her confidence.

The battle went beyond the logic of a normal jonin versus jonin confrontation. Usually, Doton beat Suiton. Sabuton was definitely not a traditional use of Doton, but it still should absorb Suiton. However, no matter what Matsuri tried, Suigetsu effortlessly recovered. He even easily ignored and recovered from the genin's coordinated attacks.

Ignoring the Suna shinobi around him, Suigetsu took his time to crack every joint and stretch. He obviously did not see them as any sort of threat, and he held an obvious bearing of conceit and confidence. When he felt sufficiently limber, he looked at his opponents. "What's this? Are you done already?" He sighed impatiently. "Aw man, I was looking forward to using my swords, too!"

Matsuri's eyes went wide, but he just tapped his chin. "Oh, I see!" He snapped his fingers when as he seemed to realize something. "You couldn't fight your best 'cause you had to defend your brats!" He nodded, appreciating his genius. He knew, of course, how easy his deduction was to figure out. Matsuri took a hit earlier when she leapt to Hishu's aid.

He looked up when he felt another presence. From the canyon, a pair of silhouettes emerged. One was significantly shorter than the other was, and both wore their hair to their shoulders. However, the smaller was obviously a young female. The taller spoke, his baritone voice echoed through across the towering walls. "Just what is going on here?"

* * *

The downpour slowed their progress considerably. Neji and Tenten noted, with some chagrin, that Shion's carriage and guards simply could not handle the wet and muddy conditions. They were nearing midday, and a muddy pothole once again delayed them by holding a wheel hostage. Mizukura refused their assistance, possibly as a matter of pride.

Neji stood off to the side and watched. Tenten elected to escort Shion and her small entourage of ladies in waiting for a roadside break. As the guards heaved and hoed, he looked to the rebellious clouds. They released their downpour without concern for the job they were sent to accomplish. They bellowed noisily and luminously as if to shut out their remaining senses.

A particular thunder crack shifted his attention. Even with brilliant flashes of lightning, his vision remained perfect thanks to his kekkei genkai. As air rushed back to fill the vacuum the plasma left with a hiss and crash, he watched the black figure hobble towards their caravan. He took a defensive stance when he recognized the strange person.

The black half of the man-plant Zetsu was certainly _not_ somebody he wanted to see. He narrowed his eyes and wondered if Akatsuki somehow learned that Momiji was a jinchuuriki. There were other, possible explanations, but they disconcerted him far worse. While he studied the approaching figure, he wondered where the white half of his body was. He also noticed the missing parts of his body seemed hastily constructed, as if just enough to hobble around.

Without a word, he activated his Byakugan. His eyes widened in surprise, and he turned automatically to the guards. "Get out of the way!" They were too slow to react. Plants sprang out of the ground, and each formed a lookalike to the white half of Zetsu. They doppelgangers latched onto Mizukura and others with especially strong chakra circulatory systems.

He followed the fake white Zetsu stems to their source. They stretched out like roots to a single core, the _real_ white half of Akatsuki's man-plant. With a barely restrained growl, Neji returned his attention to the black Zetsu. Before he could demand the release of the guards, new growths forced him to dodge. He could not afford to let the white Zetsu's roots catch him. He saw the results.

Mizukura and the others were already nearly drained of chakra!

As Neji dodged, he reached into his robes and produced a fuuin inscribed tag. He concentrated a small amount of chakra into it. He threw it into the air, and it exploded in a radiant flash of red. As the red smoke spread out and dissipated, he continued to dodge and approached the black Zetsu. Once he was in range, he struck fully intending to close a tenketsu.

He narrowed his eyes when his strike bounced off cellulose. _"He really is like a plant."_ However, a sudden if slight drain in chakra disturbed him more. He jumped back and observed his opponent as Tenten entered his extended field of vision. _"His plant-like skin protects his tenketsu from my strikes, and it appears any contact allows him to absorb chakra."_

He watched his teammate for a moment as she skillfully dodged stems as they suddenly emerged from the ground. _"Her weapons mastery may be the better choice in this fight. I don't know if Zetsu can absorb chakra through a conduit, but it's bound to be far less efficient."_ Deciding on a course of action, he called out. "Tenten, I'll leave this opponent to you for the moment. I need to free Mizukura and the guards before they are fatally drained of chakra."

Tenten nodded and focused her attention on the black Zetsu. Without skipping a beat, she removed and unfurled a scroll in a single motion. As she dodged to one side, she bit her thumb. As she rolled to avoid another stem, she painted her blood over a single fuuin. Smoke surrounded her, and she emerged holding a pole staff. She had already safely packed her scroll away for later use.

Neji continued to watch her even as he readied kunai to cut white Zetsu's stems. She could feed most of her weapons chakra to increase their tensile strength, but a special coating prevented chakra leaks. As he cut a guard free, he watched how chakra flowed in her strike. While the black Zetsu didn't try to dodge, he also did not appear to steal any of her chakra.

Instead of worrying about his teammate, Neji concentrated on the guards. Tenten could handle herself. On the other hand, Shion's guards were dangerously low on chakra. The white Zetsu did not appear to have any qualms killing Demons' royal guards. He also felt some satisfaction after cutting each stem. Immediately, the fake white Zetsu holding the guards wilted into a harmless, brown heap.

When the guards were in no further, immediate danger, Neji returned his attentions to Tenten. For whatever reason, the white Zetsu stopped sending fakes to entrap and drain any victim with strong chakra. That half seemed content to let the black Zetsu continue the fight. The idea seemed foolish to him.

While the white Zetsu was strong from stealing the guards' chakra, the black Zetsu was unable to steal his opponent's chakra. The hastily constructed side of his body was already torn and ragged. Still, his smile was unsettling. Neji slowly approached and contemplated his options. The black Zetsu was almost drained, but the white Zetsu still posed a threat. He had no idea how they separated, let alone how they would merge.

His focus shifted for a moment when he saw Shion and her ladies in waiting return. He missed the white Zetsu smile. In what seemed like an instant, the black Zetsu planted his foot in the ground, and roots grew to where his other half hid. When his attention returned, the useless, hastily constructed half fell like rubbish where he once stood.

Neji pumped chakra into his feet and rushed to Tenten. The two halves already merged, and they were preparing to attack. He gritted his teeth and hoped she would forgive him for his next action. He poured chakra into his hands, joined them together, and thrust his open palms forward. The expelled chakra slammed into her back and pushed her forward.

She tripped and fell face first into the muddy ground, but she was safe. He looked at the blade like vine protruding from his forearm. In order to save her from being impaled, he had to get close enough to shove her out of the way. The timing was too tight, and he did not have enough time to shift from offense to defense.

Tenten groaned and pushed her face and torso out of the mud. She looked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened in shock and dismay. "Neji!" Her scream was nearly lost to the deafening cacophony of thunderclaps overhead. She pulled out and unfurled her scroll, but, as she tried to activate one of the fuuin to release another weapon, the vine wrapped itself around his arm and pulled him underground.

She blinked and felt shallow of breath. "Ne-Neji?" The fuuin activated and released a bladed staff. It fell to the ground and sank halfway into the mud. "Neji!" She looked around. Without aid of the Byakugan, she held no hope of finding him. The sky was dark, and rain and lightning obscured her vision. "Neji!" He was the strongest graduate from their class. He was the first jonin from their class. There was no way he could be taken out so easily, but she could not see him. She could not find him!

Zetsu, whole once more, emerged behind her as she kneeled down to retrieve her new weapon. Shion screamed, and Tenten reacted. She swiftly turned around and raised her bladed staff. If she had been a moment later, another blade-like vine would have skewered her. Instead, the absurdly sharp vegetation bounced off her weapon and meandered away from her.

Her shock and dismay quickly morphed into anger. She wanted to take Zetsu out and find a way to rescue Neji. As she prepared to strike, a cry from their periphery caught her attention. "No! Shion-sama!" Mizukura sounded distressed.

* * *

Tsuchikage looked at Kakashi from the corner of his eyes before waving his hand dismissively. "You guys can leave me alone. It appears the runt wants to talk with me." His guards immediately bowed. Before the left, they eyed the interim Hokage dangerously. When he their presences felt far enough away, Tsuchikage turned to face and size up the Hokage's representative. "This is a dangerous game you play, Sharingan Kakashi."

Kakashi smiled and leaned against the wall opposite the elder shinobi. "I know you value honesty, so let's just be frank." He acknowledged the elder's acquiescing grunt before continuing. "War isn't something to tread lightly into. I'd rather avoid it if I can." He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've lost a lot of friends. They were all good people."

Tsuchikage nodded. "A lot of brats lost their lives before they even lived." He mirrored his junior's stance. "We're always ready for war. Iwa is steady as a mountain. However like that mountain, we prefer to remain slow to act. We'll clash for ideals, resources, or whatever. The _last_ thing I'll do is send my people into a conflict without exploring any options I've got."

Kakashi nodded. "That's an admirably quality." He smiled. The ideal was not hard to find, but it often seemed hard to keep. Like the other great shinobi nations, the great shinobi wars sucked Iwa right along. "I will point out that you said it best." He caught his senior's undivided attention. "We don't know what Akatsuki's ideals are."

Tsuchikage tilted his head in curiosity. "I did say that." He shook his head. "I don't see why you're bringing it up now. If you're going to say what I think you are, it might have served you better in council." He knew he was stubborn, but he was far from stupid. He was _not_ making the mistake of sending entire battalions to any early demise like in the last major conflict.

"I don't think it would serve as well as you think." Kakashi started cryptically. He made a point of matching his elder's eyes. "No, we don't know what Akatsuki wants. _That's_ the problem." Though he was emphatic, he remained calm. He paused and tapped his bicep. "They hunt the jinchuuriki, _our shinobi_, and don't even attempt to assuage our anger. They haven't tried diplomacy even once, and they even lay waste to villages when they don't get their way."

"So far, that only affects you." Tsuchikage sighed. He knew Akatsuki attacked Konoha unprovoked. It was safer to say Akatsuki provoked Konoha, and Konoha had the right to attack and request assistance. The nature of the attack perplexed the aged shinobi, so he authorized the deployment of Ichi and Ni of the Iwafutae clan. He never expected the representative of Konoha to harass him after such a diplomatic gesture.

Kakashi stood a little straighter. "No, it affects the entire shinobi world." He resisted saying something he knew would alienate his senior, even if it would make him feel better. _"If you can't see that, then you are a fool of an old man."_ He bit his tongue before he embarrassed himself and continued. "I heard you lost shinobi in one of their hunts."

While Tsuchikage stiffened at his comment, Kakashi continued. He did not want to sting his pride, but he wanted him to realize something. "I want to protect something precious to me. Akatsuki is targeting one of my cute genin, and I won't let them have their way." He turned and walked away. "Think about it."

Tsuchikage watched Kakashi leave and breathed a heavy sigh. When his guards returned with questioning glances, he waved them off. "Bah, that runt reminds me of a few idealists." He looked up when other Kage reentered the building. "That runt really knows how to make his rounds." He had a certain level of respect for his junior. He was new to the game, but he played it better than he expected.

* * *

Yamato and Anko looked up when they heard a large hawk cry out overhead. They both blinked in surprise as it circled close to the ground. They knew it was a messenger hawk, and they recognized its particular plumage. The predator eyed them warily as they approached. It hopped and cawed at them. It studied their hitai-ate for a moment before waiting expectantly.

Yamato looked to Anko. She breathed heavily and showed the hawk the requisite hand seals. Satisfied, it approached her as she knelt down. It flapped its wings nervously as she retrieved the note from the small satchel anchored to its leg. Once the parchment was free, it flapped its wings and took to the sky. Yamato and Anko watched for a moment as it turned and returned to its country of origin.

"Should I get Isaribi to decipher it?" Yamato prepared to walk back to Kitaboueki proper.

Anko shook her head. "Don't bother." She held the parchment up, so he could read it. "They didn't even bother ciphering it." As Yamato read the short note, Anko nodded. "We better gather the brats. Even if we aren't at a hundred percent, we can't really ignore a cry from Void for help."

When they arrived at Kitaboueki, they divided the teams a little differently then how they arrived. Yamato and Anko took charge as team leaders, of course. Kiba, Shino, and Sasame followed Yamato. Anko led Sai, Hawk, and Isaribi. They excused themselves from Keita's care and proceeded directly to Void.

They had no idea what to expect when they arrived. At full speed, they would arrive in a couple of hours. Unfortunately, they could not keep such a pace with the injuries sustained by three members of their group. Sasame ordered them to stop at regular intervals to inspect Yamato, Anko, and Sai's wounds. She redressed what she had to, but she mostly only applied the necessary treatments.

If they had to battle, they suspected Hawk would take charge of Kiba and Shino. It was probably best to keep Isaribi out of the fight; though, she was a capable shinobi in her own right. Sasame only hoped circumstances allowed her to hold her patients back and focus on healing. They were not heading into a situation they were fully prepared for, and they knew it.

* * *

Miyagi and Aina watched Junichi receive reports, fume, pace, and yell with only slight variations in the cycle. They knew why he was distressed. The middleman was on his way, and he was at present missing the goods he promised to trade. Things took a decided turn for the worse when they felt the powerful, malicious presence.

After the alarm sounded, Junichi's mercenaries scoured the caverns for any sign of Konoha's jinchuuriki and another. In his embarrassment, he never even ordered Yorukage to join the search. Of course, they suspected he had ulterior motives. He could delay giving them orders to place the blame squarely on them, or he could be waiting for a sighting or positive report before sending them out to capture the escapees.

Junichi pulled files and flipped through pages in a futile attempt to calm himself. A mercenary walked in, whispered in his ear, and placed a blue crystal in his waiting palm. He nearly punched his desk, but he managed to control his temper. Everything seemed to change when Fugui entered the room. Junichi nearly exploded. Miyagi and Aina listened carefully.

Junichi practically shoved the blue crystal into Fugui's chest. "My guards tell _you_ went to visit Uzumaki Naruto _just_ before a feeling of…of…" He paused to collect his thoughts and raised his arms to approximately nose height. "…pure malice!" He threw his arms to his side. After a moment to work the anger out of his voice, he held the blue crystal to Fugui's face. "All that is left is this aokasou _scrap_!"

Junichi threw the blue crystal sideways. It skidded across the cave floor before hitting the wall. "That should have held him!" It spun for a few moments before falling still. "That should have held him!" He repeated his own words. He held his finger accusingly. "What. Did. You. Do!" He punctuated his words, and he did not ask. He demanded.

"Wait!" Aina interrupted before Fugui could attempt to defend himself. "That little crystal there…" She indicated it with a finger, and everybody in the room looked. "That little crystal was supposed to hold that demon?" She stared at it incredulously.

Junichi rolled his eyes. "There is no way that _scrap_ was meant to hold my prize, no." He sighed. "You remember that aokasou formation above Uzumaki Naruto's head?" The Yarukage pair nodded. "The jutsu it emulated was designed to hold six jonin nearly indefinitely."

"Six?" Miyagi chimed in, and Junichi nodded in response. "_Only_ six?" Junichi looked at Miyagi in obvious confusion. "You might not know this, but your 'prize' is has a lot more chakra than _six_ jonin." He shook his head. "Maybe it was safer to let us design a genjutsu to keep him under."

Junichi shook his head. "Correct me if I am wrong, but jonin are capable of concentrating their chakra and, temporarily, seeming far stronger than they really are." Yarukage were forced to acknowledge his point. "I wager, that under _normal_ circumstances, my retirement package would never have concentrated so much chakra at once. The jutsu can handle a sudden spike longer than most jonin are capable of maintaining." He sighed. "Now if that is the only objection, I want to hear Fugui-san's explanation."

Fugui shrugged and nearly growled. "I hate junchuuriki, so I wanted to confirm something." He really did growl. "They should all know their place. They're nothing but the village's weapons, but they get uppity and full of themselves." His hate filled glower intensified. "Every single one of those ingrates! They don't know what our villages sacrifice for them, and they _always_, not even one exception, let that power get to their heads."

Junichi narrowed his eyes. "You entered his prison for that feeble excuse?" He held his hand up to forestall further argument. "I expected more from you, Fugui-san. You let your little vendetta get the better of you, and now we are in a real mess." He pointed to the aokasou remnant angrily and continued. "If my mercenaries find any hint of Uzumaki Naruto, I expect you to aid Yarukage recapture him. If you refuse, you can expect that I feed _you_ to the wolves in Akatsuki."

Fugui fidgeted. Real fear flashed across his face. He received the point loud and clear. He turned, flustered, and made his way to the door. "Your mercenaries are useless." He paused long enough to look to Miyagi and Aina. "You'll know when I find that jinchuuriki scum." He almost spat out the word. "Just make sure you back me up before your boss really _does_ hand me over to Akatsuki for the little breach."

* * *

Madara flipped through a manila file folder. He scanned the pages with careful precision, and he paid special attention to any ear marked pages. The experiments in the hidden laboratory were important to him, and the results determined how quickly his next steps could proceed. Of course, the laboratory director raised a good point.

Akatsuki was pretty much in shambles. He had two members remaining, and he could only control Sasuke and his team to a certain extent. There was no way to coordinate proper missions to carry out his ambitions. He was not even assured his loyal minions would return alive anymore. He half chuckled. There was even one member who abandoned Akatsuki all together.

He continued to study the experiments and their results, but part of him was curious about Kaede. The man towered over most shinobi, in both physical height and chakra capacity. He was an impressive specimen to be sure, but he knew little to nothing about him. His file neglected to mention any clan name, and somebody even redacted his place of birth. It was suspicious, and he did not like it. "How long do you think it'll take to reach his target?"

The director clucked seemingly disappointed. "You are such a cruel man." He received no reply to his jab. With a shrug and a chuckle, he continued. "You show now real concern, but you immediately send him on such an interesting mission." His usual chortle worked into his speech. "Ah, but you're expecting an answer." He tapped his chin, laughing the entire time.

"If he can't even accomplish such a menial task, he has no hope in my organization." Madara eyed the director stonily. "You might approve of him, but he hasn't proven anything to me." He shook his head; though, he his attention remained rooted in the experimental file. "He doesn't even belong to a clan, and he's ashamed of his land."

The director's snigger turned amused for a moment. "Oh, don't get me wrong." He stood and walked to a shuttered window. He peeked through a pair of shutters and studied the scene on the other end. "I didn't hide the information because I thought it was unimportant." He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "I hid it because I wanted his merits to speak for themselves. If you judge him on clan and anything else he's thrown away, you wouldn't use him to the best of his capabilities."

Madara shifted his legs to get comfortable and improve circulation. "You can brag about him all you want, but I want to know _who_ I'm dealing with. I can deal with his capabilities, whatever they may be, whenever the need arises." He flipped another page. "You aren't planning on tricking me and running away with the results; are you?"

The director actually reared back. His laughter exploded in a moment of mirth. He wiped a tear from his eye as his expression returned to normal along with his chortle. "Oh, perish the thought. I'm only here because I can experiment to my heart's content, and I don't even have to concern myself with these pesky lab rats." He turned back around. "Besides, where else can I get the chakra capacity of the nine great bijuu?"

For once, Madara's attention left the experimental file. He looked into the director's eyes as he continued. "I'd have to gather…" He paused to calculate. "…I don't know, _every_ jonin and chunin on the continent to generate the mass of chakra to necessary for the results I desire." He shrugged. "They'd probably die in the process too, and I wouldn't have a second chance for several generations." He grinned and tilted his head to one side. "I'd like to live to see my project to fruition."

Madara nodded and continued to ignore the laboratory director's incessant laughter. He was used to it, and his question was answered adequately enough for the moment. He would learn everything he needed in due time. He was mainly concerned with how Kaede would fair in his current task.

"Oh yeah…" The director interrupted Madara's musings. "He should be arriving right about…" He looked at his watch and ticked off seconds with his opposite hand. He lowered his raised hand with finality. "…now."

* * *

Moegi kicked a stone as she walked down the street with Konohamaru and Udon. Their sensei was on a mission, and they were stuck on tedious D-rank missions. They were transporting materials from one site to another. The tar, wood and nails, and bricks and mortar were necessary for the reconstruction. They wanted more exciting missions, but they understood how important their work was.

"Things are boring with boss gone." Konohamaru mused, and his partners in crime nodded in agreement. While the invasion was another sobering reminder of the world they lived in, Konoha was strong. The village would rebound, as it had so many times before. Besides, allies poured in to assist in any way possible.

While Iwa allowed for the dispatch of the brothers Iwafutae, other villages more willingly showed their support. Many even happily proclaimed Naruto to be their hero in some form or fashion. One was a famous bridge builder and his grandson. Konohamaru and the gang liked him, and he was about their age. Besides, they loved stories about their boss' heroics.

Thinking of the brothers Iwafutae, the gang looked to the Hokage monument. They could make out the faces easily enough. The definition was still rough, but the basic shape was in place. The brothers Ichi and Ni were meticulous artisans. They were eccentric, but their skill was obvious. What they accomplished in a short amount of time would take ordinary shinobi and civilians months or possibly years to accomplish.

Ichi and Ni were also precise. As they reconstructed the Hokage faces, they carefully and painstakingly redesigned and reinforced the inner tunnels and safe houses. The structure was obviously stronger than before, but they improved much of the design. The rooms were larger and more comfortable, and they improved the air and water circulation system.

The genin were impressed with everything they heard about the reconstruction, and they were eager to learn the progress. They understood the importance of rebuilding necessary defenses, but they were glad so many civilians were assigned to rebuild the housing and merchant sectors. Shinobi concentrated on reforming the defensive wall along the perimeter of the village, and ANBU carefully outlined the necessary fuuin to protect everybody.

The village was vulnerable as long as the massive seals were not in place. They defended the village from time/space jutsu, and they thwarted a variety of destructive jutsu. While the adults tried their best to hide their distress, Konohamaru and his cohorts recognized the signs easily enough. ANBU worked double and sometimes triple shifts. The few jonin they saw were running around to make sure everything stayed happy and all clear.

As they arrived at their assigned location, Konohamaru waved to the construction chief. He passed him the necessary paper work as Moegi and Udon moved the cart near some workers. They chatted for a moment before the workers began work on unloading the supplies. The genin needed the cart back. The supplies delivered and necessary papers signed, they walked away.

Like the adults, they put on a strong face. They smiled and laughed easily. They carried on idle chatter as they returned to the supply yard for their next D-rank mission. Halfway to the supply yard, they heard perhaps the most dreaded sound Konoha could hear with defenses down and the majority of jonin and chunin gone.

Sirens blared to announce an unknown force approaching.

While the defensive seals were not up and active, ANBU took the initiative to place seals five miles from the village's perimeter. They detected approaching chakra signatures, and the villages dedicated sensors were on constant lookout.

The population immediately shifted into battle preparations. The available ANBU and jonin flowed in one direction, and civilians marched to the remaining safe houses within the Hokage monument. Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon knew their duty. They dropped what they were doing and fell in step with the civilians. Like last time, they were on escort duty.

Unfortunately, the unexpected happened precisely because the seals were not in place to deflect time/space jutsu. A giant of a shinobi appeared between them and the civilians they were charged to protect. He looked around and whistled. "Ah, Konoha seems like such a nice change of pace." He blinked and looked down, noticing the genin for the first time. "Oh, looks like Kaede's going to have some fun…"

* * *

Kinda funny thing about Kaede. I had one design for him when I originally wrote up the outline for this arc. After some Rum and Eggnog on Christmas Eve, _it completely changed_. I'll explain his original concept to anybody who wants to know _after_ the conclusion of this arc. Hope you enjoy!

I'll be honest. The recent lack of reviews is starting to worry me. I hope my readers continue to enjoy this as much as I frustratingly enjoy writing it.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,085  
Story Page Count: 14

**Terms:**

none


	42. Chapter 39: Child's Play

Contrary to what I'm sure a popular belief is by now, I am alive _and_ working on my fan fictions! I've just been busier and more fatigued than I would have imagined. I sincerely apologize, and hope everybody enjoys this chapter.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 39:**  
**Child's Play**

Konohamaru did not have a chance to respond as the invader's massive fist drove into his gut. His lungs felt like they exploded in hot fire, and his breath violently escaped. "Konohamaru!" His friends exclaimed as they could only watch helplessly as he flew back, and they barely regaining their senses in time to put their guard up for the next assault.

"Oh!" Kaede exclaimed as he watched the genin guard against his katana. Moegi and Udon held their arms crossed in front of the faces for added support while kunai blocked the tempered steel. "Kaede is impressed, impressed indeed." Arrogance saturated his every word. With a chuckle, he slid his katana across their guard.

Udon took notice, rebalanced, and pulled Moegi away before the invader's hook could connect. His attention focused; he stopped his female comrade from looking over her shoulder. "Don't look back. Don't take your eyes off him." He swallowed hard and nervously licked his lips. "We have a duty to protect the civilians."

Moegi watched him stand and pull explosive tags out of his supply pouch. "Konohamaru's fine." He realized he was also trying to convince himself. "He can handle himself, and he's known boss longer than either of us." He threw his kunai, fully expecting the big guy to dodge. "We've got to buy time until help arives!" The explosive tags triggered in midair, and the conflagration that followed forced their target back.

Before they could prepare to press their attack, Kaede erupted like a force of nature through the debris the explosive tag kicked up. Though he shielded his face with his arms, they could clearly see the insane gleam in his eyes. In an instant, his frightful aura brushed across their minds. Legs shaking, they froze. They could only look on as death approached.

Sun glaring off tempered steel, they felt sudden relief as blue waved past them like a flag waving in the wind. Kaede grunted first in surprise then in pain as Konohamaru pumped his fist into the invader's cheek. "What are you guys doing?" The troupe's leader exclaimed. "You think boss would stand for this?" He crouched low, preparing a renewed assault. "He's nothing compared to Pein!"

He pushed off fully realizing he started a spark. His friends were not cowards, but they still had to be reminded. Pein was strong. Though Kaede was definitely a madman, he simply could not compare. Pein could win with his ability, but Kaede required a paralyzing thirst for blood. Konohamaru could not recognize the invader as a worthy foe!

Udon managed to find his bearings first. "Konohamaru is right…" He tightly clenched his fists and molded his chakra to follow their team leader's charge. "I haven't really had the chance to use the jutsu Ebisu-sensei taught me in battle."

Moegi slapped her cheeks and clenched her eyes for a moment. "Right…" She took a deep, calming breath and crossed her arms over her abdomen. "I'll be sure to back you up!" A moment later, she sprang forward while launching kunai from both hands.

Kaede paused as four objects approached him. _"Hmph, these brats aren't too bad. I'd thought they'd still be paralyzed with fear. Oh well…"_ He spread his arms to wide and welcomed the kunai as if a father welcoming a child. "…this is just too fun!" The first two kunai simply vanished into the ether, but the second round sunk into his flesh.

Without a moment's pause, he lunged forward to stab Moegi, but she vanished exactly as the first kunai that struck him. _"Ah, those were _Bushin_ then."_ A pebble scuffed the ground, and he turned just in time to meet steel with steel. "Kaede must give you thanks…" He sang honest praise to Konohamaru. "...'cause if it weren't for you, this wouldn't be any fun!"

Sparks flew as he slid his katana across the genin's kunai. Before he could bellow a victorious laugh, Konohamaru burst into chakra smoke. Kaede blinked dumbly in disbelief. _"Were green gills really capable of such a move?"_ His head naturally jerked when a silhouette emerged from the unnatural smokescreen. His katana was still at an awkward angle, and he was unprepared to counter or defend with his off hand.

When Udon landed and threw a half-punch, Kaede found himself again blinking dumbly. He almost laughed, but a sudden, inexplicable pain in his gut silenced and sent him flying. He landed in a pile of rubble and groaned in pain. Emerging from the building refuse, an insane smile marred his features. "Oh! Now you show Kaede interesting tricks!"

An overhead shadow drew his attention. He looked to the ground in confusion as he tried to figure out exactly what he was seeing. He looked up only to tilt his head to one side, and the general confusion escaped in one, simple breath. "Huh?"

Moegi, for lack of a better description, slid on mid air. The way her hips swayed and body twisted suggested a snowboarder navigating a snow-covered mountainside. She launched kunai before he noticed, and he only realized when they bit into his flesh. Squirming and nearly free of the rubble, he froze for a second as a figure fell from the sky.

Udon landed just above and behind the invader. He arched both arms over his head, and he used his angle and position to hide his fists for only a moment. He joined his hands together with laced fingers and proceeded to hammer his opponent. Again, Kaede noticed the fists only made it halfway to him, and, again, he felt inexplicable force and pain.

Udon jumped back and joined his friends. He wiped his brow, the exertion getting to him. "What's with that? That jutsu wasn't designed to finish an opponent." He looked at his friends in turn, and they merely shook their heads and shrugged. They were just as confused. From how their opponent boasted, they thought they would have to act as a distraction for more experienced fighters to arrive or get lucky with Konohamaru's _Rasengan_.

In the distance, Bat and his team watched the situation carefully. He looked over to one of his subordinates report on the situation. The subordinate shook his head. "Ebisu-jonin knows how to train an effective squad, but this guy may be too much for them."

Bat returned his attention to the billowing cloud. "Not all of us have your perspective." His eyes studied the scene intently for any sign of the giant emerging. "After all, we just saw a squad of genin surprise an unknown and completely tear through his defenses." He nodded in approving appraisal. "Their teamwork was top notch as well."

The same subordinate elaborated. "Of course captain. They are a cut above, and I've heard Naruto-dono may have influenced them." He caught his entire team's attention, if only briefly, with that confession. "However, that unknown is…" He took a deep breath in apprehension. "…can only be described as a monster."

Their attention immediately focused on a silhouette freshly emerged from debris. Still settling dust obscured the assailant, and his maddening laughter brought fear to even the seasoned ANBU assassins. They stood, poised to fly to the defense of the young genin. However, Elephant and his squad interrupted.

The squad captains faced each other for a moment as Konohamaru and his partners in crime rejoined their battle with Kaede. Elephant calmly responded to his colleague. "Let the children fight a bit longer. Despite their opponent's obvious strength, they have control of the situation, and we can jump in at any time."

Bat bowed his head in thought before returning his attention an acknowledgement. "Okay, we'll let the kids handle this, for the moment." He emphasized his temporal statement. He was not one to argue with a senior captain. He watched for a moment as his peer's squad set up mannequins and painted fuuin in preparation. He knew nothing would be left to chance.

Kaede responded to his opponents differently. While he still left himself wide open and defenseless, he punished every injury with a powerful counterattack. He left kunai and shuriken where they bit into his flesh, and, to the young shinobi's eyes, only grew more fearsome and monstrous. He was unlike anything they had faced before.

Moegi stuck to the air, and she tried her best to pull her teammates out of any situation that seemed too much for them to handle. With her bird's eye view, she had a clearer picture of the battlefield. She coordinated with one of Udon's attacks to pass Konohamaru a message. When he called on a _Kage Bushin_, she fell back to a secure position.

The copy ran up to Udon and yanked him by the collar. The sudden action barely saved them from Kaede's next counterattack. With a few, quick gestures, Udon nodded; he knew to retreat. When he found his friends, he was the first to speak up. "This guy has insane stamina."

Konohamaru opened his mouth to say something, but Moegi interrupted. "It's weird…" She started, waiting for her teammates' attention. "He just bypassed security, appeared right before us, and…" She paused and licked her lips. "…and hasn't used a single jutsu."

"You think he's working with somebody?" Konohamaru sounded surprisingly calm.

"I don't know." Moegi shook her head. "We can't ignore the possibility, but it does seem strange."

Udon tapped his chin. "Not…" He paused when his friends looked at him. "…necessarily." He opened his mouth to continue but thought of another question and restarted. "What about your _Kage Bushin_?"

Konohamaru jerked his head back for a moment, folded his arms over his chest, and tilted his head to one side. He picked up the habit from Naruto. "Well…" He hummed. "It hasn't been dispelled, so it must still be fighting." He narrowed his eyes. "He's unconcerned. He knows we retreated to regroup, and he just doesn't care!"

"He's underestimating us, Konohamaru!" Moegi tried to reason, but she was just as worried. She turned her attention to Udon. "You think he might have a kekkei genkai or something?"

He nodded. "It's a possibility. He could also simply have a very strong alignment with time/space jutsu." He scratched his chin. "Ebisu-sensei did mention two elemental schools. The one we're used to has five elements."

Konohamaru snapped his fingers. "Boss said something like that!" He nodded his head proudly. "Boss was bragging about it after his Fuuton training." He paused to think then groaned. "Ah, but he never told me what the second school was." Konohamaru suddenly jolted to attention as if struck by electricity.

"What's wrong?" Moegi asked in concern. She looked worriedly to Udon when their de facto leader did not respond, but she released a startled gasp when she was tackled to the ground. She looked up to see Konohamaru held aloft by his scarf. He was kicking and scratching to get away from their assailant.

Udon responded before she could. He stomped the ground just in front of the invader, and Kaede braced for another unexpected blow. When no pressure came, he relaxed and prepared to throw his captive to the young genin utilizing a strange technique. However, Udon followed his strong stance through to a nearly hidden uppercut.

With his grip loosened and muscles lax, he unwittingly released Konohamaru and bit the soft flesh of his cheek and tongue when the curious pressure connected with his chin. He landed flat on his back and coughed blood and spittle. As rose to his feet, he wiped his mouth and laughed. He stared at the genin who made him taste his own blood. "Well little genin, it seems your little punch left you weak, and your friends aban…"

He stopped midsentence as he tried to throw a punch. He turned to determine why his hand was suspended in midair. The sight confused him. Moegi tightly gripped the air as if she held a noose tightly around his wrist. Without hesitating, Kaede twisted around and took a single step towards her. She trembled slightly under his wicked grin, but something caught his attention before he could retaliate for stopping his fun.

A strange whirring sent a shiver down his spine. A change in air pressure chilled the sweat and blood against his skin. "_Rasengan_!" Kaede turned too late when he heard Konohamaru name his attack. Offhandedly, he noticed his hand was freed from Moegi's technique. Absently, he realized he was spinning rather rapidly.

He also felt no pain. Even as he slammed into a newly refurbished wall and heard joints pop and bones crack, he felt no pain. As the world turned to darkness, he smiled and spat out blood as he tried to laugh. He tried to get up, but something pinned him down. He tried to identify what held him down, but his body refused to listen to him. With a last gurgled breath, he turned his attention to the civilians the genin fought so hard to protect.

Thinking he might try something with his dying breath, they prepared to move. When instead his body went limp, they released a collective sigh of relief. They were a little worse for wear, but the worst had not come to pass. As they approached the invader's body, Bat and a single cell of ANBU appeared. The genin looked around, realizing only then that they were being watched.

They accepted it in stride. Either the ANBU were confident in their abilities, or they were watching for an opportune time to jump in. As Moegi and Konohamaru were about to ask Udon if he was okay, a surprised reaction from one of the ANBU drew the genin's attention. Before they could take a step forward, a young woman's cry echoed past them. "Ojii-chan!"

Bat looked over and signaled one of his men to investigate. After checking the old man's pulse, he looked up and shook his head. As the young woman cried over her grandfather's corpse, he appeared next to his commander and reported his assessment. "It appears the ojii-san's heart gave out in the commotion. There are no signs of physical trauma or poison."

Bat nodded and returned his attention to the invader. Moegi noticed something off and turned to Konohamaru and Udon. "You guys see that weirdo's hand?" They looked and nodded. His fingers already showed signs of rot. "He wasn't like that when we were fighting him. It's…" She paused. "I don't really know. It's really strange."

"'Strange'?" A woman's voice drew their attention. "'Weirdo'? Is that any way to treat such a worthy adversary?" Obscured by the sun, they could only look to the silhouette with puzzlement clearly adorning their features. She laughed. "Oh, this really is such a quaint town. Looks like Kaede's going to have some fun…"

* * *

Yamato and Anko stopped in front of a man at the border to Void. Their teams stopped immediately behind them. The team captains showed the envoy the same hand seals they showed the hawk. The man nodded and opened a satchel at his side. Without a word, he passed out slips of parchment to all shinobi present. He hesitated in front of Hawk.

"We were concluding another mission when we received your messenger hawk." Yamato explained. "She was sent to lead a cell to provide medical attention and protection."

Void's envoy nodded. "You may proceed then." He looked around. "Some of you are wondering what to do with what I handed you." He pulled another slip of parchment out. "We are a safe haven from the shinobi world. If their armies descended upon us, we would stand no chance. However, we have maintained our independence."

Anko chuckled. "If an army _does_ enter Void uninvited, there is an ancient secret ready and waiting to repel them."

The envoy eyed her. "Yes, we minimize our involvement in your wars, and don't think Lightning has taken advantage of our guardians. They have been successfully invaded on several occasions. However, we are not here to discuss history or military secrets." He redirected attention to his parchment slip. "We are safe because the guardians respond to hostility and bloodlust."

The teens shared confused looks. The envoy continued. "The details are unimportant. Needless to say, you would be unable to fight without those passes. For one day, you are free to fight." He paused. "That is, if it becomes necessary."

Yamato nodded. "Of course." He looked past the envoy for a second. He saw the disturbance in the distance. "However, we do need to know the mission details."

The envoy tilted his head in acquiescence. "Follow me. I'll explain on the way." He turned and expected them to follow. Yamato, Anko, and their teams quickly ran into the underbrush after him. The teens were impressed with his speed, but they still progressed slower than they would have liked.

"Several hours before we sent out our messenger hawk…" The envoy broke the silence after a few moments. "…a lone shinobi crossed our border. He showed clear hostility to the nearest village, and the guardians attacked." He paused to let the implications sink in. Entire armies would rather retreat than face the guardians. "It isn't too unusual to see shinobi foolish enough to test their metal. It _is_ unusual to see one last this long."

"So you want us to deal with this problem?" Anko practically cooed.

The envoy did not as much as flinch. "It is a rare case. However, we have requested your assistance." He paused for a moment. "The guardians will not ignore you. They will recognize you as allies and coordinate their attacks with yours. If you want to observe the battlefield before you engage, do so. If you need to retreat and regroup, do so."

"Just what exactly are these guardians?" Kiba spoke up. He did not like the idea of heading into a situation blind. He also disliked the smell drifting in the air. He discerned several, powerful chakra scents ahead, and one smelled fish-like. However, the smell was dissimilar from and pungent compared to Isaribi.

"Kiba!" Yamato scolded.

"No, he only wishes to protect his teammates." The envoy interrupted before he could continue. "They are ancient relics, secrets long lost. The shinobi world has no hope of recreating them, and we have no desire to share them. They are our military edge, and they give those who cannot mold chakra sanctuary." He looked over his shoulder for a moment to eye the teen. "It does not answer your question, but that is all we are willing to share."

Kiba nodded, and the conversation ended. Besides, they were near the combat zone. When the envoy stopped, the shinobi cells leapt into the forest canopy. They could only gawk at the site. The very elements appeared to attack the invader. When one element alighted, a vague, animal-like shape emerged for a fleeting instant.

Yamato turned to Kiba and nodded. He licked his lips and shook his head. He felt at a loss. "Well, they're powerful…" Akamaru whined. "Yeah buddy, I know." He tilted his head to Sasame. "Unfortunately, I don't think we can take our medic's advice. Whoever that guy is, he can back his bravado up and then some."

"He's Kisame." Anko announced; Yamato nodded. She turned to Isaribi. "See if our escort has an imprint." She held up a hand to forestall her question. "Don't worry; he'll know what you're talking about." She turned to the rest of her cell as Isaribi took off. "Sai, I want you to back Hawk and me up. Your arm isn't completely mended yet, and your peripheral vision is shot." She turned to Yamato, inviting him to chime in.

He had less to worry about. Except for him, his team was uninjured. "Sasame, you stay back to treat any injuries. Shino, you'll have to guard her and back Sai up. Kiba, you and Akamaru follow Anko's lead while I shape the terrain to our advantage." He sighed. "Kisame is not going to be an easy opponent, even though we outnumber him. Watch out for his sword and keep moving."

"Kiba, it is wise to keep Yamato-taichou's words in mind." Shino added as he adjusted his glasses. "Why? Naruto told us years ago that the head cleaver Samehada can steal chakra from its wielder's opponents." He focused his eyes on his longtime teammate. "Kisame has a distinct advantage. Why? He may be able to take any stolen chakra for himself."

Anko chuckled. "Okay you brats, you know the situation! Don't let Samehada touch you, or you're in for one rude awakening!" She turned her attention to rustling branches as Isaribi returned. The spy handed a wooden square to her. She took a moment to study it before tossing it to Yamato.

With a worried expression, he guided it back to Isaribi with freshly grown branches. "Our escort will want that back." As he expected, she did not budge. "The guardians take an imprint to attack invaders. The imprint ensures they are at least as strong as whatever group or individual they have to repel. Kisame has already absorbed enough of their chakra to grow stronger than any of them one-on-one."

Kiba snarled. "Then we go down there and bust his skull before he can do that!" Akamaru yowled his approval. He looked to Isaribi and Sasame. He did not want them involved if he could help it.

Yamato sighed, and Anko chipped in. "Oh, we'll make sure to knock him straight into Konoha's best interrogation squad." She smiled widely as she cooed. "We might even soften him up a bit." She almost laughed at the teen's expressions. "First, our escort _is_ expecting the imprint back." Isaribi quickly complied. "Now, you care to lead this dance, or shall I?"

Yamato bowed and indicated Kisame's position. "Please, by my guest." She did not hesitate to charge ahead with Hawk in tow. He tilted his head in their direction. "What are you waiting for, Kiba? You didn't suddenly get cold feet, right?" Kiba nodded with a smirk. He followed after Anko and Hawk with Akamaru. "Shino and Sai, cover would be much appreciated."

Yamato left as Sai pulled out his scroll and ink. Shino looked at him for a moment before holding his arms out. As the first of his hordes left the nests in his body, ink paintings came to life and either scurried along the forest floor or took to the sky. The shinobi of Konoha joined the battle to defend Void from Akatsuki invasion.

* * *

Tenten felt her shoulders tense. She wanted to turn around. She wanted to make sure Shion was safe and sound. She could not afford to take the opponent before her lightly! It took several breaths, but she loosened her shoulders and took several steps forward. She tightly gripped her bladed staff and searched for an opening.

Zetsu tilted his head as he observed his opponent. Her knuckles were white from gripping her pole weapon too tightly. _"She's obviously distracted."_ He allowed his attention to focus on Shion for a moment. _"Madara-sama might have use for her, and I won't be able to confirm the 'red-haired demon' without her."_ He knew he had to make a decision, but he felt he would not enjoy it. "If something so infantile is going to distract you, this is going to be a boring fight."

Tenten blinked, not sure she heard him right. She shook her head to clear her soaked bangs from her eyes. "Enough talk! I just need to end this, so I can look after Shion-sama and look for Neji." She was more surprised he had not moved to attack. She knew better than to believe he was defenseless. She saw no openings.

A bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree, splitting and setting it ablaze. Zetsu noticed a small distortion in the air, likely a barrier. Ignoring it for the moment, he waved his white hand dismissively as a spear of vegetation formed from his black hand. "If you want to settle a score, then I won't stop you." Amusement clearly saturated his tone. "You'll die all the more quickly. I just won't be able to enjoy myself if you're distracted."

Tenten licked her lips and tried to study the plant-man's expression. She knew she was not as capable at reading an opponent as Neji, but she was dismayed to find her opponent unreadable. She abandoned the endeavor after a moment and took a hesitant half step back. When he did not react, she took several steps back. When he absorbed his plant spear, she dropped to her knees to inspect Shion. "How is she?"

"I'm fine!" Shion protested before Mizukura could respond. "My _bodyguard_ is overreacting like a schoolboy separated from his mother for the first time!" Rather than recoil angrily, he sighed in relief. She winced in pain and turned her attention to Tenten. "What are you doing?" She argued over the sound of fabric protesting as it was torn at the seams from the shoulder.

Tenten continued to carefully pull cloth from the wound. "I've got to inspect the wound. We don't want it getting infected." She squinted her eyes as she inspected the gash and explained. The daimyo priestess shook her head as the shinobi opened her supply pouch. She pulled out some clean cloth and ointment. The cloth was immediately soaked in the downpour. "It may be wet, but at least it's clean."

She handed the ointment and cloth to Mizukura. "Here, apply this as I prepare some stitches." He nodded and followed her instructions. She noticed Shion watching her as she prepared to stitch the wound. "My family always worried about me. Papa taught me how to patch up battlefield wounds. It's not as good as being treated by a medic, but it's better than bleeding to death or letting a fever take hold."

"I do not concern myself over scars." Shion was happy to see Tenten chuckle, if only minutely. She was certain seeing Neji disappear distressed her to no end. Still, she was confused. "Can you trust him?" When the teenage shinobi looked at her with a raised brow, she elaborated. "Do you really think he'll just continue standing there while you treat me?"

Tenten heaved a sigh and returned to the daimyo priestess' wound. "Oh, I'm sure he realizes that I'm also recovering what little chakra I can." She looked over her shoulder to their adversary for a moment. "It's obvious he's lying, but I don't know what he's deceiving me about." She started stitching the wound when Mizukura backed away.

"He doesn't care that I'm distracted." Tenten continued easily. "If he was, he'd prove Neji's status or bring him back." She winced slightly when Shion moaned in pain. "Sorry, I don't have any anesthetic." She motioned for Mizukura to apply more ointment. She continued when he backed away again. "He's more worried about you."

"Why?" Shion asked confusedly.

Tenten half shrugged as she tightened the stitches. "I dunno, but I doubt it's out of the kindness of his or his master's heart." She breathed a slight sigh of relief as she inspected her work. "They probably have some use for you." She turned to Mizukura after pulling out some cloth wrap. "You can use kekkai jutsu, right?" She carefully started wrapping Shion's upper arm.

He nodded. "I erected one a moment too late." He directed his glower to their assailant. "Still, his unfamiliar jutsu or weapon or whatever it was penetrated my kekkai as if it wasn't even there." He returned his attention to Tenten with a somber expression. "I'm not sure even three layers are enough to slow one of those 'spears'."

She sighed. "All I can really ask is that you do your best…" She was almost done wrapping Shion's wound. Her lip twitched. "Hey, can any of your guards create a genjutsu or make something look like me. I might be able to surprise him and get behind him. At least then it's less likely that a stray 'spear' heads your way."

Shion shook her head and frowned. "I'm afraid such a broad art as genjutsu is not permitted in my court. A few of my guards can permanently change their appearance, but none are present." She paused and bit her lip as Tenten finished and tightened the wrap. "I'm sorry I can't be of any assistance."

"No, it's f…" Tenten flinched as a plant-spear crashed into the mud behind her and tore through hard rock beneath. She stood with her bladed spear, poised and ready. "Keep Shion-sama safe. I'll see what I can do…" She took a step forward and raised her arms level with her chest. _"I'm sorry Neji, but I've got to use it."_ She pulled a scroll halfway out of her sleeve, and she appeared to tilt to one side as she walked forward.

She took a moment to observe her opponent. Zetsu held his plant-spear with some level of uncertainty. She concluded he thought he was simply mentally unprepared for the coming attack. She knew he was underestimating her. He had no reason not to. She did not know if she wanted to scowl in frustration or smirk with confidence. Holding her emotions in check, she stepped forward. As he tensed in preparation, she launched into an attack.

He braced for the attack. _"A charging attack? How reckless." _He swept his plant-spear outward and prepared to snap it back to her exposed, outstretched neck. He felt the blade at the end of her spear penetrate his side. Feeling no resistance, he looked to his plant-spear, and then his arm. Her bladed spear passed through his arm, but he felt no pain. He jumped back to try observing her.

Tenten did not relent. She pulled her bladed spear back and thrust it forward once more. He barely dodged; a slight gash opened at his side. Pumping chakra into his legs and feet, Zetsu jumped back as far as he could and stay in range. He prepared to throw his plant-spear, aiming for her legs. She flipped her bladed spear over and gripped it with both hands.

He was momentarily distracted by the sound of her scroll splashing in the mud, but they launched their weapons at the same time. Zetsu chuckled when her weapon appeared off course, and he prepared to grow another plant-spear as she dodged to one side while unfurling her scroll. As he took aim, he was shocked to see the bladed spear disappear along one trajectory and appear along another.

He was forced to dodge, dropping an incomplete plant-spear into the mud. He turned a glower to her as it wilted and disintegrated, but his expression turned to surprise when she was nowhere in sight. Before he had a chance to look around, he looked up when he felt no rain falling against his body. His eyes widened at the sight. Internally, the inexplicable sight filled him with fear.

When he dodged, Tenten took advantage of his momentary distraction and launched into the air with the weapon she unsealed from her latest scroll. It was immense in size, and it was likely equally as immense in weight. Zetsu surmised she unsealed it while in midair, and quickly evaporating chakra smoke only served to backup his assessment. Regardless, she shifted her weight and twisted her hips, and the truly massive hammer arched nearly one hundred and eighty degrees to plummet towards its mark.

For a long moment, his body was frozen. He could no more feel his limbs than he could move them. When it felt as if eternity was staring him in the face, he took a breath that felt hot to his suddenly parched throat and leapt into a diving roll to one side. He took several short breaths to calm himself as mud cascaded over his body. His anger felt hot enough to boil his blood.

As he turned around and prepared another plant-spear, Zetsu observed his defenseless opponent. She held tightly to the hammer, but she clearly focused her attention on him. She was calm and unflinching. He liked her attitude, but she drove herself into a situation where she had no hope of winning. However, the hammer was not as deeply buried in the mud as he had expected. Nevertheless, she could not summon further weapons with her hands occupied.

He walked towards her, confident and smug. He was not going to throw his weapon to finish his opponent. He wanted the sensation of eviscerating her himself. He watched her hands for any signs of releasing her latest weapon. She clenched it tightly as if intending to wield it. Standing behind her and ready to strike, he assessed the situation as a final, sarcastic kindness to her. "There's no way you can lift that."

Tenten looked down for a moment. "Yeah, you're right." She lifted her foot for a moment before pushing it into the mud and shifting her weight. She felt some pleasure seeing the dismay flash across Zetsu's face as the hammer first slightly lifted out off the ground. He released a heavy breath in disbelief and half stumbled backwards.

Every muscle in her body tensed as she flipped the hammer's head from vertical to horizontal. She twisted her entire body and brought the entire length of the massive hammer level with her opponent's head. As her ankles rotated to signal the end of her swing and alignment of energies, Zetsu could only see the impossibly large, flat surface a hair's breadth from his face.

* * *

"…uto…" A husky, female voice danced across his subconscious. "Na…-kun!" He tried to open his eyes only for bright light to assault his senses. "It's time to wake up kit!" He jolted to an upright sitting position only to regret it. He held his head and clenched his eyes closed as a vicious migraine molested his brain. He felt hot breath as the bijuu he jailed spoke. "You had the pale-eyed vixen worried."

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched colors dance across the back of his eyelids. "Okay, I can understand why you call me kit, and I can _sorta_ understand calling Sakura-chan pinky…" He opened his eyes only to see three very blurry Kyuubi no Kitsune swirling and rippling. "Is it really necessary to call Hinata-chan pale-eyed and/or vixen?"

The massive fox shrugged. "Why not?" He opened his mouth to try arguing, but nothing came out. "Besides, that's not really important right now." Her host harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest with a slight pout. "I think, now, we have enough to take Junichi in."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, but I still hope Sakura-chan and Shikamaru found something." He tried to stand only for his limbs to give and fall flat on his butt. "Ow…" He paused and shook his head. After a moment to collect his thoughts, he looked to the bijuu. "Why do I feel so weak?"

The bijuu heaved a heavy sigh and shook the entire length of her body. He watched as hair and dead skin shed and sank into the mindscape. She took another few moments to collect her thoughts as she scratched the back of her ear. "You know how to give everybody a scare." She stopped scratching and looked down at him. "You still can't properly control my chakra."

The jinchuuriki was taken aback. He stumbled on his words for a moments as he tried to counter her assertion. "Y-You're cooperating with me now." She rolled her neck in some disbelief and opened her mouth, but he interrupted and continued. "I can control your chakra!" He shook his head and searched his memories. "I didn't go feral when I faced Nagato's final Pein, and I got away from my cell here easily enough!"

Kyuubi no Kitsune slammed her paw into the ground and growled commandingly. "Listen!" He stood at attention, silent. "Just because you _can_ control something doesn't mean you _know how_ to control it!" She again itched that stubborn spot behind her ear. Mildly satisfied, she continued. "I was hoping to have some more time to explain the details to you, but it appears that was the point of this mission." She shook her head.

Naruto stood with his mouth agape for several moments. "'…the point…' What do you mean by that?" His words held obvious anger. He paused, feelings of hurt entering his psyche. "Are you saying Kanaeru…?" He paused and clenched his eyes shut. "Are you saying my _family_ knew what was going on here?"

She sighed. "It's a distinct possibility." She shook her head. "No, it's almost certain." She held up a paw to forestall further argument. "You weren't trained by Uzumaki. You don't know the does and don'ts. You _just_ gained control of me or, more importantly, _learned_ of me." She paused to stand. She talked as she paced. "There are a lot of secrets left for you to learn, and I think they felt a need to prepare you."

He watched her and let her words calm him. He felt some relief seeing her anxiety. It reminded him he had family, and she was just as eager to see them. No, she was perhaps more eager. She was also equally confused by their actions, but she was willing to think through and rationalize things. "What are they preparing me for?"

Kyuubi no Kitsune stopped and looked up to the artificial sky of Naruto's mindscape. "All your life, my chakra has only ever flowed into you with rage, hurt, hatred, and other negative emotions." She turned sharply to look him in the eyes. "You fought those emotions. They never sat well with you, and they became perfect gateways to control you through." He took his normal, thoughtful pose.

"I helped you control my chakra. When you faced Pein, I purposely withdrew, so you could use senjutsu. When you wanted to escape, I flooded your mind with memories to elicit positive emotions." She stopped with her mouth half-open. After a moment, she took a deep breath and looked at him sadly. "What were you thinking when those guards talked about selling the child like cattle to the Akatsuki?"

Naruto felt his emotions ready to boil, but he controlled himself and thought for a moment. "I thought of all the bad things that happened in my life." He looked up and contemplated. "I thought of Gaara." He shook his head. "I thought of Kumo kidnapping Hinata-chan just to breed their own Byakugan."

Kyuubi no Kitsune nodded. "Exactly." He looked at her confusedly. She sighed. "You grabbed my chakra because you wanted to _hurt _those mercenaries. You let your negative emotions take over and influence you, and then you violently mixed my chakra with your own. When you get right to it under those circumstances, my chakra is like a poison then."

Naruto blinked. "Wait, 'poison'?"

She nodded. "Haven't you ever wondered about it?" He scratched his head. "It's chakra. No matter how immense it is, how can it hurt you? You hold it inside all the time, but it only tears your body apart when you summon and use it." Though he looked confused, he nodded. "I am an immortal being composed of chakra and contained within a jinchuuriki. I have to feed off of something."

He shook his head. "You're saying you feed off of emotion, right?" She nodded. "It makes sense." He sighed. "It really does. You're blamed for natural disasters, but they've all happened when there were wars or famine or something." He paused and pushed his forefinger to his lips. "However, wouldn't that mean that I _can't _control you?" He held up a finger to obviate her response and clarify. "The emotions of people around me, especially my opponents, would influence you and disrupt my control."

She nodded. "I suppose it's a good thing the Uzumaki captured and contained the bijuu then." She shook her head, some humor entering her voice. "That is a story for another time. Needless to say, you're right. You have to constantly watch _how_ you feel, or you might just lose control." She paused and brought her head down to look him eye-to-eye at his level. With a serious tone, she gave a dreaded warning. "I _feed_ off of you, and you _choose_ how to use my chakra."

Naruto took a deep breath. It was a lot of information to digest, but somehow he knew most of it already. No, he had to admit some of it should have been obvious. He never _wanted_ to see the truth. He never wanted to admit the bijuu he contained might not be the vile and evil force he always thought it was. She was different from the expectations he had built up. He did not need to force her down and cage her. He had to get to know her and understand her.

Kyuubi no Kitsune pushed him slightly with her paw. "Now, get out of here kit. Don't worry pale-eyed vixen any more than you have to." He shook his head in disbelief. As he turned to walk away, he rolled his eyes. As he faded into a tunnel of light, he waved. The bijuu chuckled. "See you later kit." She looked up and wondered just what her human family was up to.

* * *

Naruto woke up to see Hinata leaning over him, tucking a tuft of hair behind her ear. She smiled and blushed lightly as she stood and offered her hand. He accepted and was soon standing. He looked around the room to appraise the situation. Kyuubi no Kitsune explained what was not immediately apparent, and Hinata filled him in on more mission details.

Junichi was a pragmatic man, an old dog set in his ways. While Naruto was isolated and chained, he was a special case. Their target stored the child in a well-used, large room. The room contained dozens of cages, each capable of holding dozens of prisoners. More importantly, it contained scores of filing cabinets storing every record from his less than savory business.

Of course, Hinata helped herself to the extensive library of evidence. While Naruto was captive, she read through any records she could, and stored everything inside scrolls. They had everything they needed to present an airtight case to the courts of Old Tree. There were only a few concerns left. They had to meet up with Sakura and Shikamaru, capture Junichi, and escort him to a waiting jail cell.

Naruto did not like Junichi, but he was confident he could stop himself from tearing the old man apart. He was a leech on society who thought nothing of selling a small child to Akatsuki. Even if the child was the son of powerful shinobi, one of which was a former jinchuuriki, it was still unfathomable. One thought gave Naruto solice. Junichi was going to spend a very, very long time in a dank, dark cell.

They approached the door once they were prepared. Naruto created a _Kage Bushin_ to carry the child, and Hinata rested her ear against the door to listen for approaching guards. When she determined that the coast was clear, Naruto sliced the door hinges with a thin, well-placed _Kazeken_. They looked into the hallway just in case any mercenaries heard the jutsu.

Without a word, Hinata slipped into the hallway and led the way. Naruto's _Kage Bushin_ took center position, so Naruto and Hinata could easily defend the child it carried. They flitted through the caverns easily and quickly. They were almost to Junichi's office when they sprung a trap. Hinata barely saw it with her Byakugan, and a massive wall made of interlocking electricity forced the teenage shinobi to skid to a halt.

As they looked around, the ground on the other side of the barrier wavered. From the ground, Fugui emerged wearing an insidious smirk. He quickly ran through hand seals to erect a similar barrier behind his captives. "Oh-ho, well if it isn't a little Hyuuga so far from home." He ignored their dangerous glowers. "Well, it appears Yorukage's information was wrong. I see no Sharingan Kakashi."

The teenage shinobi looked at each other for a moment, and Naruto smiled. Hinata closed her eyes as she held back a small giggle. He raised his arms, interlocked his fingers, and rested his head comfortably. "Eh, we don't need his help for small fry like you." When clear anger flashed across their captor's face, Naruto swept his arms forward and set up hand seals.

Hinata fell back defensively to protect the _Kage Bushin_ and child. Fugui fumbled in confusion, but he successfully cast his shorter jutsu to make the electric walls rapidly collapse to his prisoners. However, Naruto was more than prepared. "_Fuuton: Kazeken_!" He knew Fuuton trumped Raiton, so he simply cut his arms across his chest in either direction.

Naruto's _Kazeken_ enveloped the walls of electricity to either the front and back. Fugui took a half-step back in fear. He was not a jonin for his power. He was a jonin for his wit and ability to teach the next generation. He watched helplessly as his jutsu collapsed and combined with the jinchuuriki of Konoha's jutsu. It pulled wildly, but the young shinobi confidently directed the pooled forces.

As wind and lightning crashed into him, Fugui tried to hastily construct an armor of Doton. The combined jutsu slammed him into and through the thin, cavern wall. Junichi, Miyagi, and Aina looked up in surprise. As Fugui stood with a groan, Naruto and Hinata entered. Behind them, the _Kage Bushin _remained with the child.

Junichi stepped up. His confidence was obvious as he stood beside the still recovering Fugui. "It appears my guests are uncomfortable with their accommodations." He paused to look at the freed child. He heaved a heavy sigh. "I suppose distasteful acts catch up at some point, but a hefty paycheck from Akatsuki tends to mollify any frail sense of morality."

Naruto felt his rage flare, but he caught himself before doing anything rash. "_What_ sense of morality?" Their target tilted his head and cast a non-apologetic gaze. "You think you can just barter and trade somebody's child like some cattle or linen cloth?"

"Why not!" Fugui spat. He did not question the action. To him, it was the only right thing to do. "The child of a monster is still just a monster! It's some beast to be bartered and traded _just like cattle_!" He flew backwards, face nearly smashed in. Naruto stood where he once did, and he groaned as he slid off the wall.

"I wasn't speaking to you!" He was completely in control. His appearance was normal. Nothing of the Kyuubi no Kitsune overtook his countenance. He returned his gaze to Junichi. He had to admit a certain admiration for the old businessman. He never flinched and regarded his fallen ally with only a passing glance. "I _was_ asking you."

Junichi removed dust from his arm and shoulder. "Fugui-san, I told you it was dangerous to trifle with shinobi unprepared. You should know better, but I suppose the arrogant truly fall before pride." He returned his attention to Naruto. "Unlike Gato-sempai, I have a great deal of respect for you shinobi. Even the youngest and lowest ranked are like living weapons."

He turned and slowly walked to Miyagi and Aina. "As I said, distasteful things sometimes catch up at some point." He paused when he stood next to his hired shinobi. "I never liked trading children, but they were safer under my care than my less scrupulous competition." He looked over his shoulder. "Unlike others, I scrutinized my clientele to ensure the best, possible owners." He sighed. "In the end, I suppose even my 'moral high ground' was nothing but thin ice to the prospect of money."

Naruto took a step forward, and Junichi signaled to Miyagi and Aina. "Yorukage, please deal with my retirement fund. I do require them alive."

Miyagi sighed. "Naruto, you are just too troublesome." Junichi looked at the rogues he hired curiously.

* * *

The reason this chapter took so long is mostly researching Moegi and Udon, besides what I mentioned above. I honestly had the fight scene nicely outlined, but I drew a blank when I started imagining their reactions. I spent entirely too long going through every single manga and anime chapter they appeared in only to come up with zilch. In the end, I just constructed their fighting syltes from the ground up.

I must note that I absolutely hate having to build fighting styles for characters that already exist in the cannon universe from the ground up. I'm looking at you Moegi and Udon! Anyway, I'll reveal where my inspiration came from. Moegi is pretty much a direct rip off from a fairly new character _Claymore_. Udon is primarily a composite from _Ranma ½_. Though, he'll employ an originally concocted jutsu in the coming chapters. Do enjoy!

The next chapter shouldn't take _nearly_ as long. In fact, I plan to release it and the next chapter of _Fate, Alchemy, and Bridges_ before June 30. Of this year. 2011.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,016  
Story Page Count: 14

**Terms:**

none


	43. Chapter 40: Dreams of Retirement

I apologize for my absence, but my mental state has not been quite right for writing. I've updated my profile with a general outline of the reasons. I will _not_ go into more detail than outlined there.

* * *

**Chapter 40:  
Dreams of Retirement**

Naruto closed his eyes, scratched the back of his head, and laughed. Junichi's confusion only escalated when the blond jinchuuriki continued with an apology. "Oh, sorry, sorry, just got a little carried away there." Though Miyagi rolled his eyes, he returned an amused smirk.

Junichi sighed and rubbed his brow. "If I had to choose, I suppose I prefer to go out this way." He looked to Miyagi and Aina. "It is embarrassing to think _I_ would end up underestimating shinobi." He turned his attention to Fugui and sighed dishearteningly. "No, I should say I overestimated…" He paused, looked up, and chuckled. "Rather, I weighed my options poorly."

"Will you surrender peacefully?" Miyagi prepared the first hand seal for the signature jutsu of the Nara clan.

Junichi waved him off. "There is no need to get hasty." He eyed them knowingly as he placed a hand under his sash. "After all, you need me alive."

Aina reached into her field pouch as she approached him. "That's the preference." She removed a slip of paper covered with seals.

Junichi turned sharp eyes towards Aina. She stumbled for a moment as he studied her and calculated a new mystery. "Did you say 'preference'?" She nodded. His throat reverberated as he contemplated a moment longer. "Are you saying I am a target you prefer to capture alive, _but_ you suffer no consequences with my death?"

"Hey, you're not going to psych us out!" Naruto pointed towards their target. "You're just upset 'cause we caught you with your pants down!" The analogy worked, and he knew it. They never even suspected Miyagi and Aina, and their little act when the mercenaries managed to capture him was perfect.

Junichi chuckled, catching the group by surprise. "Yes, indeed you did." He shrugged. "I am embarrassed." He turned his attention to Aina then Miyagi. "Now before you tie me up, would you care to tell me who you _really_ are? You cannot be Yorukage. They are rogues from your village, true, but you are obviously still loyal."

"What makes you think we'll tell you?" Aina spat before she could check her temper. She shook her head. She reached out to grasp their target when Hinata stopped her. She looked to the Hyuuga heir with a hint of confusion.

Hinata pulled her hidden ally's shoulder as she squinted her eyes. She observed their target with an unusual intensity. When Miyagi was about to question her, she finally spoke. "Something's strange." She did not elaborate immediately. Her friends let her concentrate for a moment longer. She finally blinked and tried to explain what she saw. "Have you observed any ability to manipulate chakra from Junichi?"

Miyagi and Aina both shook their heads. Hinata continued. "For a brief instant, I thought I saw something to contradict both your observations and my own." Her vision followed Junichi's arm to his sash. She blinked repeatedly when she saw the object in his hand. Rather, she saw a strange void grasped tightly under the cloth. "He's hiding something similar to the minerals in the mountain walls."

Miyagi's eyes widened. He approached Junichi and forced his hand into the open. He held a small, blue crystal reminiscent of a small flame. He narrowed his eyes in thought. As his brow furrowed, he wondered how he missed it. "Is this the aokasou Fugui brought you?" His eyes searched the ground. _"When did he pick it up?"_

Junichi sighed. "Oh well, I guess there is no point hiding it." He tore his arm from Miyagi's grip. He continued as he rubbed his sore forearm. "I _had_ hoped you would drag me halfway out of this mountain before you noticed." He shrugged. "Best case scenario, you would not notice until Old Tree authorities took me under their custody."

Naruto looked to Miyagi. "What's going on?"

"If I had to guess…" Miyagi started with a sigh. "…I'd say our former host is using your signature jutsu." He held up a hand to forestall any questions. "Fugui brought an aokasou fragment from the room they were holding you in. If I had to guess, a massive chakra spike made it 'forget' the jutsu it _was_ holding." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and spoke under his breath. "Troublesome."

"How did we miss him using the aokasou, then?" Aina practically yelled. "Even the most skilled shinobi can't use justu so efficiently that no chakra is wasted!"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I just barely noticed it." Everybody directed his or her attention towards her. "I saw a little excess chakra escape through his ears." She licked her lips. "I just didn't know what to make of it. His chakra system isn't developed at all, so I was initially confused."

Naruto practically growled. "This isn't getting us anywhere!" He prepared hand seals of his own. "I'll find him, and we can sort this out later!"

Miyagi stopped him. "Wait, we have no idea where he is." He looked to Junichi. "Somehow, he was able to use your _Kage Bushin_ justu _and_ slip away from us with the aokasou. We can't underestimate him and rush into the situation blindly."

Naruto looked to Fugui for a brief moment. He remembered their conversation while they held him captive. He focused on the flame-like crystal Miyagi confiscated from their target. "What's so special about this aokasou, anyway?"

Miyagi sighed, but he explained anyway. "When it was first discovered, the aokasou were sold as jutsu amplifiers. However, their true nature was revealed as villages were formed." He sighed. "It may just sound like a coincidence, but greater protection meant scientists could study the presumed 'miracle' crystals. Instead of amplifying justu, they found the aokasou _stored_ justu."

Naruto nodded in understanding, and Miyagi continued. "Konoha banned the use of aokasou. They were deemed too dangerous, even a security risk. I'm not sure how the other villages view them, but I've never heard of loyal shinobi ever using them. I imagine they agree. The risk is simply too high for the reward. Sure, a shinobi could use a jutsu he or she normally couldn't, or a shinobi could make a justu more powerful or efficient. However, the jutsu _is_ stored in the crystal. It is vulnerable to enemy capture."

Naruto smirked and chuckled. "So?" Everybody looked at him strangely. "He's just copying my _Kage Bushin_." He rubbed his nose in confidence. "He never trained to _use_ it. He hasn't fought in countless battles to _hone_ it." He cracked his knuckles and prepared his hands seals. "He's just a fake, a fraud." He pushed chakra into his signature jutsu. "He doesn't know how to _really_ use it!"

"Naruto, wait!"

"_Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs with his usual exuberance, completely ignoring his allies' protests. Air popped and hissed as solid clones filled the room and filed into the hallway. When the dust cleared, an army composed of a single face stared menacingly at a visibly frightened Junichi.

"Make no mistake, Junichi…" The crowd echoed in imperfect unison. "…we'll find you!" One of the clones, maybe the real Naruto, grabbed the panicky target by the collar. "You don't understand what you're messing with, and there is _no_ way you can hide!" With a bone-jarring smack, Junichi's aokasou formed _Kage Bushin_ faded into the ether.

Aina pinched the bridge of her nose. For a moment, her image flickered as her chakra and temper spiked. "Naruto!" She heaved a heavy breath, as she looked the nearest copy in the eyes. "How are we supposed to find him now, huh?" Even if the display scared their target, he had a cliff side full of caves and twisting tunnels to hide within.

A single Naruto leaned back on laced fingers to protest. Inwardly, his teammates decided he was the original. "Come on Sakura, give me some credit." He looked at her as she raised her hands to her face to release the jutsu. "While you and Shikamaru did your part, Hinata and I were hard at work with ours." When he looked to Miyagi, he instead saw their chunin leader removing the paper seals holding his perfect disguise.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru grunted as the last paper seal burst into flame on its way to the ground. He lazily leaned against the nearest wall. "I don't think getting captured was part of the plan." He eyed the blond genin and shrugged. "Though, it was an unexpected boon." He cut off Sakura before she could protest. "We learned of a connection to Akatsuki."

Sakura sighed and acquiesced. "Fine!" She planted her fists on her hips and angrily tapped her foot. "That still doesn't explain how we're going to find Junichi!" She glanced at Naruto. It was important that they found out everything they could about Akatsuki, but they could not risk alienating Konoha with poorly executed missions. Worse, they could not afford to botch one just to get information for the sole reason it benefited them.

"I…" Hinata started and almost gasped when every eye in the room focused on her. She could handle Naruto better now. She was still shy, but she had spent enough time with him to talk more clearly. Still, dozens of his eyes staring at her made her feel awkward. "I th-think I know wh-where he's going…" She stammered and cursed herself.

Naruto smirked. "Well, beats my idea!" He laughed at the incredulous looks he received from Sakura and Shikamaru. "What?" He shrugged.

Shikamaru shook his head and motioned for Hinata to continue. She nodded and complied. "When I was gathering evidence, I ran across his holding cells. That's where I found the boy…" She indicated the slumbering child. "…but also, most importantly, every record of every 'transaction' since he entered the former daimyo's service."

"Why would he return there?" Sakura wondered aloud. Naruto nodded in agreement, and Shikamaru rubbed his chin.

"W-Well…" Hinata paused shyly. "I-I couldn't see it clearly, but…" Even she hated admitting a weakness in the Byakugan. "…th-there was a safe hidden in the wall." She thought back on what she saw and described it. "I saw its outline and locking mechanism, but the wall's composition prevented me from peering inside. I-I think it's important to Junichi."

"Right!" Naruto crooned. He looked out into the hallway. "You made a map, right Hinata?" She nodded and unfurled the corresponding scroll. After a moment, his teammates looked at him. Shikamaru cleared his throat to get his attention. Returning his attention to Hinata, he smiled and nodded. "Right, where's the room?"

Shikamaru and Sakura paid close attention to the map as well. They knew a few routes out, but they knew the shortest was the safest. Feeling he understood the route sufficiently, Shikamaru turned his attention to Fugui. With a heavy sigh, he addressed his team. "Naruto, I only want _Kage Bushin_ going after Junichi and any men remaining in the tunnels." He paused in case of protest, but he was pleasantly surprised to hear none.

Clearing his throat, he continued. "You can get some _Kage Bushin_ to secure and carry Fugui out of here. We'll hand him over to his village, along with the child of course. I'm sure they'll want answers concerning his activities." He sighed. "As troublesome as it seems, it'll help Konoha." He eyed Naruto suspiciously. "You got that?"

Naruto grinned mischievously. "Way ahead of you!" At the incredulous stares, he continued. "I already have my _Kage Bushin_ scouring the caverns, so I just need to tell them the proper route _and_ Junichi's likely position." His grin widened as one of his clones popped out of existence. After an instant, all but three clones remained in the room with the original. They followed some silent orders he gave the one to release.

Shikamaru tilted his head to one side, but he had no reason to question him. He turned his attention to Hinata. "Did you see anything else suspicious in his holding room?" She shook her head in the negative. With a heavy breath, he gave his marching orders. "Okay, let's get out of here. We'll cover all the exits just to be sure." He eyed Naruto knowingly.

* * *

No longer laden heavy with ice, the cloud ceiling parted under the heat of the sun. As focused beams of sunlight penetrated the thick canopy of the forest, rainbows formed to announce the end of a long and heavy downpour. The countryside glistened and sang as flora and fauna woke from a short slumber. However, not all was peaceful and bright.

The high sun also cast light onto a lengthy gouge torn into the forest floor. At the end of the new scar, Zetsu laid and stared at the blue sky peaking through cloud ceiling and forest canopy. _"That girl learned an unbelievable jutsu. To think, she took me by surprise."_ He looked to his black side. The landing had torn his arm asunder as if a tree root scraped across hard stone. He looked down at this waist. His legs were in a slightly better state.

He pushed his white arm into the soil, so he could more quickly absorb needed nutrients. _"I haven't seen that jutsu used properly in a long time."_ He tried to laugh, but it came out as a harsh cough. _"I may have to reevaluate my strategy. She is a superior fighter to what I first imagined."_ He observed the progress of his repairs.

His legs and black arm still looked ragged, but he removed his white arm from the soil. As he pushed himself up, he looked in the direction he flew from and smiled. "Well, there's always an alternative." He grunted and made his way out of the forest. As he made his way to the clearing where he ambushed Shion's escort and captured Neji, he released seeds from his heels with every step.

With a guttural guffaw, he reached his white hand out to collect poisonous plants as he passed. They appeared to bend to his will as they beckoned to his call. As he swept his hand over the toxic vegetation, he formed a plant-spear and drove the lethal venom into the spearhead. He readied his weapon as he pushed a final line of brush aside.

As Zetsu emerged from the tree line, Shion gasped in horror. She had no idea how the plant-man survived. The hammer her remaining shinobi guardian hit him with was massive, without peer. She swallowed hard and almost clung to the captain of her personal guard. The gentle mist rising from the warming ground only added to her fright.

Tenten stared down her opponent. He was in _much _better shape than he should have been. She knew her weapons, and she knew her jutsu. She hit him cleanly, and she sent him flying. Taking a deep breath, she hefted the massive hammer and prepared for another assault. However, she glared at her assailant's weapon. Something about it set the hair on the back of her neck on end.

She put on a brave face as she stared her opponent down. She took a few steps forward, emphasizing the ease with which she carried her substantial weapon. Internally, she was taken aback when the plant man did not as much as flinch. She was certain he could not see through the distortion, and her weapon held every ounce of power its size demonstrated. Then she froze in place.

Tenten was not scared. She tried to move forward, but her feet refused to rise from the muddy ground. After another heave, she decided to look down. She heard Zetsu chortle eerily. He trapped her. She did not know how, but he made it so that she could not move. She saw the strangest sight; roots wrapped tightly around her feet and ankles, and they fastened her in place.

"I see…" The white Zetsu began. "You changed the refraction of light with a simple Suiton jutsu. However…" He hefted his poisoned plant spear and took careful aim. He was _not_ getting too close again. The black Zetsu finished. "…if I know where you are, your main advantage is gone!" He let his victory sink in a moment more before he let loose his plant spear.

He leaned back and planted his weight. He heard something sloshing in the mud, and he delighted some in his opponent's frantic struggle to get free. He arched his arm forward and threw his whole body into the attack. "No, Shion-sama! Don't!" He released the plant spear before his mind could process the implications.

Zetsu looked up to see Mizukura desperately looking towards his charge. He saw Shion covered in mud on a straight trajectory for Tenten. He felt anger well up in the pit of his stomach as the daimyo priestess tackled his opponent to the ground an instant before he heard a blood-curdling scream.

Tenten looked in horror as the terrible spear pierced Shion through. The world slowed to a crawl. The scream on her lips could not even escape her throat as the daimyo priestess dropped to the ground, teeth clenched and gripping her side. She was in pain, disabled by more than a glancing blow. The world, slowed and terribly muddled, seemed to leap into clear focus as Shion collapsed into the muddy ground.

Tenten tore at the roots wrapped around her feet. In frightful irony, her jutsu affected them much the same as it affected her massive hammer. They were too heavy and weighed her down. She fought hot tears as a part of her mind wondered why Zetsu had not attacked. She practically screamed at that part to remain silent.

An unfamiliar sound refocused her attention. From her peripheral, she noticed her opponent take a step back. The ground heaved violently before exploding with mud, roots, and rocky debris. When she wiped the mud from her eyes and cleared her vision, she felt a weight lift from her heart.

Neji stood between her and Zetsu, bold and proud. He stood with a regal grace that spoke both arrogance and confidence. "Get to Shion-sama." His voice was strong, betraying no weakness. "Retreat with the rest of her entourage. I can handle this alone." He narrowed his eyes, Byakugan blazing.

Tenten nodded and responded in a near whisper. "Be careful…" She took in a deep breath and released her jutsu. With a loud hiss and a crack almost like distant thunder, her massive hammer returned to its seal. She easily ripped the roots from her feet. She pushed herself to her feet and walked towards Shion. She gripped her side, noting with some disdain potentially bruised ribs.

Tenten dropped to her knees next to the daimyo priestess and winced. She ignored her own pain as she leaned over to cradle Shion for transport. She paused with a gasp as she noticed the unusual pallor of their patron. She placed an ear over her mouth and listened. Raspy breath met her, and she shot a worried glance to her teammate. "She's been poisoned!"

Neji nodded in understanding. Before he could either taunt his opponent into making the first move or press forward, Zetsu disappeared into the ground and foliage. He looked angry, weak, and worried. Tenten pondered his expression just long enough to realize his retreat. He was not aiming for Shion. He did not want her dead, so he likely worried for his own life.

Neji relaxed and straightened, but his extremities lightly shook from obvious fatigue. His knees nearly buckled when he turned to face his teammate. He turned and hobbled towards the battle worn daimyo priestess and her honor guard. Tenten hid from his gaze as he turned towards her. "You did well to hold out until I could escape."

Her eyes widened and she looked at him. Obviously, she had not expected his praise. He had not seen her reaction, focusing on the injured Shion. "We must hurry; Shion-sama requires medical attention." He turned to Tenten. "Can you administer emergency aid?"

She shook her head. "N-No… I haven't gone over poisons with Papa." She looked away when his lips turned down in a contemplative frown. She simply fell into the flow of things as he gave orders. They were going ahead with Shion, and Mizukura would follow behind with the rest of Shion's entourage as quickly as he could.

They arrived at the palace hours before Mizukura could catch up. When he arrived, he saw them standing impatiently in the hallway. _"Well, Tenten certainly looks impatient. That Neji is as unreadable as ever."_ He walked up to the kunoichi and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault." He knew his words were of little comfort.

She smiled weakly in response before returning her attention to the large, double doors. "We told your palace medics that she was exposed to high concentrations of local poisons." She held out the spear that pierced through Shion. "I was able to examine it on the way." She sighed miserably. "The lead medic is confident, but…"

"Trust their judgment." Neji interrupted. He turned to look over Mizukura. He turned his gaze just enough to inspect the rest of Shion's honor guard. "You should also seek medical attention. Zetsu drained your chakra dangerously low." After delivering his assessment, he returned to waiting for news on Shion's condition.

"He means well." Tenten reassured Mizukura. "He really does. It's just…" She paused to reflect on her words. "It's been a trying day for all of us." She still felt uneasy, but she had convinced herself it was the medical emergency. She did not want any more stress falling into her lap for a long time.

Mizukura nodded before turning around to order his men and Shion's ladies-in-waiting. They were all anxious, but they needed medical attention and rest. He also needed them ready for another attack. _He_ needed to be ready in case of another attack. He knew how necessary his barrier was to their defense. As he walked away, he also worried about damage from the long downpour. He would have to check for casualties later.

Far downstream of the palace, rapids twisted mercilessly towards a waterfall. The rain caused the river to swell, and it swept everything in its path further and further downstream. A cave along a cliff formed a new bank, and a figure managed to grab hold. The figure climbed and coughed, covered in mud and debris. Mizukura's dour warning to his guardsmen was right. They had to check for casualties immediately after recovering.

* * *

Suigetsu whistled and leaned back on interlaced hands. "Who'da thunk the high 'n' mighty Hyuuga would come a callin' personally." He bowed dramatically. "I feel honored." He looked up when he heard no response. "Huh?" He chuckled. "Tough crowd." With a shrug, he continued. "Fair enough, I s'pose. It's not like…"

"What business do you have with us?" Hiashi interrupted harshly. He looked around to survey the battlefield. To normal eyes, it might appear that the rogue shinobi simply embarrassed the warriors of the sand. With his powerful eyes, he saw past common facades. With no small feeling of pride, he witnessed his youngest daughter appraising the situation with the same level of scrutiny.

Matsuri was, by no means, weak. In his esteemed opinion, she was worthy of ranking among the jonin. He also understood why she resisted promotion, due in no small part to rumors and subsequent investigations. Hiashi also recognized her immediate disadvantage. Suna tasked her with protecting Kankurou's young charges in his absence.

He returned his attention to Suigetsu when the impatient rogue breathed disappointingly through his teeth. "I come all the way out to the desert, and I keep getting the cold shoulder." His arm instinctively edged towards his sword. He clenched his fists remembering Sasuke's words. Konoha's elders were _his_ targets.

"I don't really care what happens to Hiashi." Sasuke interrupted plainly. He stared dispassionately at the back of his eyelids, and his knuckles supported his chin. He gave off an air of disinterest. He received curious stares in response, bordering on incredulous. He opened his eyes just long enough to let his impatience come across.

Suigetsu only chuckled. "Well, I guess ya get a fair taste of what I went through." Before Karin could go ballistic, he rolled an arm and cracked his neck. "I went to the desert for ya, man. The least you could do is indulge me a smidge." He smirked widely at the silent nod to continue. "I gotta admit; I admire the Hyuuga. Both ojii-sama and ojou-sama observed everything so nonchalantly." He laughed derisively before continuing his story.

Hiashi made his way towards the battlefield. Hanabi followed from a safe, reasonable distance. She was worried about Tsume, Hishu, and Mori. However, she knew better than to interfere. Even with a kekkei genkai, she was only a genin. She also knew their enemy's demeanor in no way impressed her father. He was obviously strong, but he tried to appear flippant. She stopped and looked up when her father held out an arm to halt her progress.

"I see you failed to answer my question." Hiashi started unperturbed. He continued forward, lightly pulling at his wide cuffs. "What business do you have with us?" He reiterated without a hint of emotion. Still, small hints spoke volumes. For all his boasting, Suigetsu hated the desert. He deflected statements and questions in an admittedly poor attempt at psychological warfare. Hiashi refused to see his opponent as the incompetent brute he pretended to be.

Suigetsu narrowed his eyes. He looked angry for a moment before his easy smile returned. "My dear ojii-sama, I'm here to take your ojou-sama into Hawk's custody." He said conversationally. He frowned slightly when the Hyuuga head failed to respond, even slightly flinch. His voice almost cracked, but he controlled himself as he spoke. "You guys certainly _earned_ your reputation."

Hiashi observed his opponent's unusual reaction. It was disconcerting. The foreign shinobi shook all over with almost giddy anticipation. The Hyuuga head motioned his daughter to find cover, to which she immediately responded. He admitted inwardly; he was proud he did not have to lower his guard. She rushed to Matsuri and the genin, who managed to move out of the way.

Suigetsu whistled. He knew he had Hiashi's full attention, but he still felt impressed. "That's one ironclad guard ya got there, ojii-sama." He laughed as he settled into the first hand seal of one of his Suiton imprisonment jutsu. "Ya don't even appear to have a stance, yet I can't find one, simple opening."

Hiashi closed his eyes, fully prepared for the battle at hand. "On the contrary…" He opened his eyes; his kekkei genkai blazed in full fury. "…this is a stance I have yet to pass on." To everybody's surprise, the Hyuuga head made the first move. The move even caught Hanabi off guard. Most Hyuuga justu took advantage of the Byakugan by luring the opponent into a false sense of security and then attacking.

However, Hiashi seemed to disappear as he expelled chakra. Suigetsu almost continued his jutsu until he noticed something. _"Is my weakness exposed?"_ He dodged, and his jutsu dissolved as his body melted into the desert sands. Even as his body reformed, he rushed his opponent. He received a knee to his gut as recompense.

He held his stomach with wide-eyed shock. He barely stumbled backwards to avoid the next _kick_ only to receive the full force of a Hyuuga chakra expulsion. _"Don't the Hyuuga rely on the juuken taijutsu? Sasuke didn't say anything about a repertoire of kicks!"_ His body exploded in a spray of water when he landed, and everybody else simply watched in silent amazement.

"Wh-What kind of jutsu is that, Hanabi-chan?" Tsume asked aloud the question also on the tip of Hishu and Mori's tongues. In all their spars, they only saw Hanabi use open palms and fingers in precise, chakra-infused strikes.

Hanabi stood a little straighter. Her Byakugan took in details normal eyes failed to understand. "It's a variation of juuken taijutsu." She turned a little to direct her next statement to Tsume. "Watch otou-sama's flow. I think you'll understand." She knew her peer was blind, but her kekkei genkai showed her a world eyes could not understand.

Hanabi took a breath as she recited her father's words. "You look, but you do not see." Her new friends regarded her in confusion. She might sound arrogant if not for her Byakugan. "You watch, but you do not observe." She turned towards them and allowed her eyes to rest upon each of their faces. Her attention was everywhere, but she knew the 'gaze' gave them comfort. "It's a basic concept of _Yakedo_."

Kankurou's genin practically gawked at Hiashi as he continued to one-up and surprise Suigetsu. _Yakedo_ sounded extremely dangerous. They thought the Hyuuga head was burning chakra at a violent rate. Hishu was the first to speak up. "Isn't he going to be in danger if he keeps this up?"

Hanabi shook her head. She would not admit that she did not fully understand the concept. She would not admit that her elder sister was far superior to her in the art of _Yakedo_. "It is more an art than a jutsu." She tilted her head slightly to one side. "You match your opponent's flow and sweep them away in that blazing fire."

Tsume nodded, and Hishu and Mori agreed. Hanabi was young and inexperienced, but she skillfully used juuken to _disrupt_ the flow of her opponents. They saw that in their sparring matches. Hiashi was _accepting_ Suigetsu's flow. He blended into it and took advantage of his opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

Suigetsu looked on the ropes. His chest heaved in exhaustion and injury. Blood dribbled from his mouth, nose, and ears. Water cascaded down his body from his repeated attempts to escape injury in his liquid form. His face contorted in undisguised rage. _"Okay, ojii-sama's got some moves. I'll give him that. I've got to get that ojou-sama and get out of here."_

Hiashi's assault was relentless. He never allowed Suigetsu a chance to rest to catch his breath or mold chakra. He landed a punch, feinted a kick. He took out his opponent's knee in an attempt to send a debilitating elbow into the crook of his target's neck. It was almost comical to watch the shinobi of Hawk melt into water and reform while running frantically away.

Hiashi always pursued his opponent without a second's hesitation. Suigetsu did not try to escape. He watched his surroundings and his opponent for an opening, _any_ opening. He eyed high walls of the canyon. It protected Suna beyond, and it acted to shield his quarry, the chunin he fought, and the genin she protected.

A smile crossed his face as a plan wormed its way into his consciousness. He turned and whipped a tendril of water at the Hyuuga head. He missed widely as Hiashi ducked. In a mere instant, the elder shinobi sent a knee into the water shinobi's face and a devastating palm strike to his face. Suigetsu crumbled to his knees even as bloodlust seemed to pervade his very being.

Hiashi was unperturbed as he sent a roundhouse into the seemingly crazed shinobi's temple. As he approached his prone opponent, he shook his arms and cupped his hands. He prepared for more traditional juuken strikes. He paused for a moment when he heard eerie laughter.

"Well, well, I must say I'm s'prised." Suigetsu spat blood onto the hot desert sand. "You're jus' ready to up and truss me up like a good ol' prisoner o' war." He wiped blood, sweat, and water from his upper lip. "I told ya already; I'm just here for ojou-sama. Hawk's got some…" He paused with bitter laughter. "…designs for her."

Hiashi stood over his opponent for a moment and studied his surroundings. His Byakugan searched for anything out of the ordinary. Before he could close Suigetsu's tenketsu, a massive _crack_ echoed along the canyon walls. Hiashi looked towards Suna in mild disbelief. He returned his attention to strike his opponent, only for his hand to sink into the hot desert sands.

* * *

Junichi scrambled through his private office. He tossed aside documents and files as he hastily gathered his wealth. He no longer needed his 'business' documentation. He scraped his hand as he stuffed a particularly valuable promissory note into a hidden pocket. He pulled out the aokasou with some frustration. "I thought I could escape with that brat's jutsu, but he can easily create a thousand times more!"

He stuffed the crystalline object into a hidden groove and removed a sizable slab from the wall. His hidden safe stood in stark contrast to the surrounding stone relief. He threw the aokasou away as he entered his password. "Hurry, hurry…" He practically yelled through his teeth. He heaved a relieved sigh lock clacked loudly and door swung open.

He opened the bag and greedily relished the sight of precious metals and stones. He picked it up with a groan as he carefully reviewed his situation. He retrieved all his money, promissory notes, land deeds, and precious commodities. Shinobi were hot on his heels and could find him any moment. He still had a hidden stash of aokasou. He just had to make it to the nearby room and find the right one.

With a victorious grin, he planned his escape. He knew shinobi were intelligent; he was painfully aware. They figured out his trick with the aokasou before drilling home just how powerless he really was. A _thousand_ of the blond genin looking for him put him at a disadvantage _on his own home turf_. He knew the caverns better than anyone, yet he still doubted a clean or easy escape.

As he rounded the corner leading from his office to the lines of cages, he paused to look at the room's sole decoration. A portrait of the late daimyo hung deliberately high. He scoffed and almost spat at the painting before grumbling and grasping the sides. With a mighty heave, he raised it above its anchor and tossed it aside. It clattered angrily across the floor as it splintered.

He did not bother picking up the fractured, gilded frame. To him, it was less than worthless. Instead, he pushed a small stone slab inwards. It activated a mechanism and slid away to reveal an aokasou over an intricate seal. He was about to activate it when he heard the shuffle of at least a dozen pairs of feet. He closed his eyes and turned around, ready for the inevitable.

He decided they were all likely fakes. They looked, acted, and moved exactly the same. They varied their pace and stride only to line up into formations. Junichi knew he could not escape the wall formed from a single face. He almost laughed. "Even the best laid plans have their weakness. _I_ was not expecting an army." He did not remove his luggage.

A single Naruto stepped forward. "You have no place to run. I'd think it best to end this here and now with a simple surrender." Naruto knew his _Kage Bushin_ could easily take Junichi alive. If a fight broke out, a few might pop out of existence before they subdued him, but subdue him they would. "Now, put down your…"

"It is rather funny." Junichi interrupted. "My mentor died because he underestimated shinobi." He paused to tap his chin. "I believe you were there. It is an incident I hope you would not soon forget." He chuckled morbidly. "It _was_, after all, Zabuza's last stand."

The same Naruto practically seethed. "You knew that pig-man?"

Junichi could not help but laugh. "Oh yes, quite." He paused to give the copy time to think. After all, he admitted Gato mentored him, but he showed no distress or anger. "He found me in a pitiable state and took me under his wing."

"You're stalling!"

"Stalling for what?" Junichi counted. When no argument was forthcoming, he continued. "Did you know I wanted to be a farmer?" The copy did not hide his surprise well. "I doubt it was in the report." He blinked in thought. "Though, I doubt anybody really knew."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

Silence reigned for several, anxious moments. "I suppose it serves only as a backdrop for my eagerness to acquit myself of this place, this land, and this whole forsaken situation." When the copy was still for a long moment, Junichi continued. "The desire to farm without license was a crime. The late daimyo, may the oni devour his liver, did not take kindly to _his_ land being used independent of his knowledge."

The copy mulled over the information for a moment. According to their intelligence, Junichi was a favored pawn of the late daimyo. He was a genius at organizing slave trade – both routes and auctions. He kept the five greatest powers off Old Tree's scent, thus preventing any form of retaliation. The late daimyo gave him the aokasou mine as another front.

Junichi chuckled in spite of himself. "After I was thrown in jail for trying to farm the land and sell people inexpensive food, Gato introduced himself to me. He used his money and influence to get me out of that viper pit." He spat angrily. "He took me as an apprentice."

"You weren't fond of the late daimyo or Gato." The copy went out on a limb.

Junichi nodded his head. "They were nothing but maggots hoping to get gorge themselves at Old Tree's expense." He shook his head. "They introduced me to power, the absolute power to control people's lives." He laughed despondently. "In the end, I was no better than them. I gorged myself on the decayed flesh of the living."

The copy eyed the target carefully. "I'm sure if this evidence comes to light…"

"I am not interested in a trial!" Junichi practically stamped his foot. "I am not interested in justice!" He removed a single, large gemstone from his back. "I am used to a certain lifestyle, and my plans are now ruined. I am leaving this place. Of that, you can be certain!"

Without another word, he spun around and activated the aukasou. A deep rumbling shook the entire cliff face, and the caverns within creaked and groaned jarringly. "I am leaving this place." Junichi repeated. Then, his tone shifted dangerously. "I am leaving alive or _dead_."

He rushed the wall of copies as he extracted a bejeweled dagger. He caught the first _Kage Bushin _unawares. It popped easily with a rush of air and excess chakra. Junichi was ready to fight his way out, and he did not care how he earned his freedom.

The light of day filtered through the cave entrance. The leaf shinobi were glad to see the warm hues of early evening. They chose an exit near the top of the cliff. With extra weight to slow them down, they wanted to make the return trip as easy as possible. Just as they were about to bathe in sunlight, a terrifying tremble shook the ground. Though many of Naruto's _Kage Bushin_ stayed behind to guard the many caves, the rest helped the real Naruto and his friends into the forest.

It only took a second for a wash of memories to sweep over Naruto. His team stopped beside him to find out what happened. Without warning, _Kage Bushin_ bounded into the caverns in what could only be described as a mad dash. Naruto explained with a growl. "Junichi means to take _any_ means to escape capture." He looked Shikamaru dead in the eyes. "I mean _any means_!"

Sakura had to ask. "What was that tremble?"

Naruto shook his head. "He activated some sort of seal. I couldn't really see it, but I think it was a means of self-destruct. My _Kage Bushin_ are trying to subdue him and drag him out, but he's resisting. Hard."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. They were in danger of losing their target, but he had to think of the safety of his team. The tremble returned, and it was far more powerful. They could search the debris later, but not if they were dead. He made his decision. "We move out for now. We have to get away from that cliff and any potential sinkholes. We'll retrieve the body later."

His team nodded in agreement. He was glad he did not have to argue. Still, he turned to Naruto. "Can your _Kage Bushin_ leave a marker to make things easier?"

With a devilish grin, Naruto thrust his hands together in his favorite seal. A copy popped into existence only to pop right back out. "Done." He exclaimed, rubbing his nose in pride.

As they turned to leave, Hinata scanned the horizon. Shikamaru looked at her worriedly, but she shook her head. With no immediate danger, they abandoned the cliff area as another tremor tore at its face. They were halfway into the forest long before the caves collapsed and sinkholes destabilized the entire cliff side.

"I must say; that was quite the feat to observe." Everybody looked up in surprise except Hinata. The owner of the voice approached disarmingly. "There's no need to fuss. I only want what's mine." The leaf shinobi almost sighed in relief at seeing Kira Bii.

Shikamaru nodded. "Of course, we were going to hand the child and the traitor over to the cloud. I just…"

Kira Bii interrupted. "You needn't worry about credit. I've already sent word to Raikage-sama of your deeds." He walked to the _Kage Bushing_ holding Fugui. "If only you learned your lesson, sensei." He shook his head disapprovingly. "We were never monsters to be feared. In your haste, you became that which you sought to overcome."

Hinata had Naruto cradle the child and carry him to the cloud shinobi. Kira Bii looked gratefully to the sleeping child. Then he nudged the small boy's cheeks to gently rouse him. He wore a bright grin as the child wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Papa?" The boy's eyes grew wide as he slung his arms around Kira Bii's neck. "Papa!"

"You have my thanks." Kira Bii stated seriously. A lone tear etched its way down his cheek.

Shikamaru stepped forward with a question. "Not to sound suspicious, but why are you following us?"

Kira Bii set his child down and started to pull supplies for dragging Fugui back to his village safely. "I caught wind of your mission to Old Tree." He chuckled. "I actually didn't follow you. I took my own route and arrived shortly after you. I waited it out to see how the mission went."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. "You just wanted us to rescue your kid. Is that it?"

Kira Bii smirked. "I coulda done it myself, but I felt like being generous." He paused to emphasize the next part. "It's a great diplomatic boon."

The leaf shinobi could not deny his claim. They rescued a high-ranking shinobi's child _and_ took a traitor into custody. They stood to gain far more than monetary reward. Regardless, the mission ended with Junichi's death. The diplomatic boon, as Kira Bii put it, was an unexpected and welcomed bonus.

As Kira Bii restrained his former sensei's body and chakra, the shinobi continued to talk. They meandered from one topic to the next. The cloud shinobi was almost alarmingly well informed. He knew about Pein's rampage and a number of new trade deals. However, the subjects were relatively unimportant. Kira Bii really only wanted to watch the army of _Kage Bushin_ excavate the collapsed canyon.

They needed Junichi's body to validate their success. After several hours, they pulled his crushed and mangled corpse from the debris. Once they sealed the body in a scroll, Naruto related Junichi's final words. To Shikamaru, the tidbits were new pieces of Old Tree's puzzle. He had a strange feeling that something was not quite right.

After they gave their farewells to Kira Bii and his child, the leaf shinobi walked slowly back to the town they started in. While Shikamaru worked the puzzle in his mind, his team walked solemnly behind him. They wanted to capture Junichi alive, but the slaver made the task impossible. The self-destruct also took out a large number of his hired thugs.

Still, Shikamaru had questions for Gavin Marshall. Watanabe Junichi was not exactly what he seemed. Sure, he was a con and a slaver, but he seemed to want nothing else to do with Old Tree. He even hated the late daimyo as much as other Old Tree citizens they had met. The story grew more curious with time to contemplate.

When they arrived, three strangers greeted them. They looked important, and they soon proved it. They represented the people of Old Tree, and they were interested in the progress of the mission. After they exchanged pleasantries, Shikamaru broke the news. "We have fulfilled our contract and will now return Junichi to you."

The men blinked. Hideo, as he introduced himself, was the first to speak up. He scratched his silver mane in confusion. "I do not see Junichi-san among your ranks."

Sakura pulled out the storage scroll and unfurled it. As she knelt down, she released the blood seal and produced Junichi's body. "Unfortunately, he struggled and activated a self-destruct within his head quarters. He destroyed the aokasou mine in the process, and it collapsed on him."

"This is unacceptable!" The second man, Eiji, exclaimed. "We wanted him alive to stand trial for his crimes. If he is dead, how are we supposed to equate justice?"

The third man, Jun, heaved a mournful sigh. "I thought shinobi were business-minded." He meant to stab painfully in insult. "You have fulfilled no contract in his death."

Shikamaru looked between the three men. "In fact, the contract did not specify what _state_ our target had to be in. It only stated we return him here with evidence of his crimes under the former daimyo." Sakura released the second blood seal as he spoke. "You may review the evidence at your leisure, but we require payment _as per_ the contract."

Hideo stepped forward and picked up one of Junichi's accounting books. He spoke as he flipped through the pages. "I am sure Gavin-kun explained things clearly to you. We needed Junichi alive to stand trial. If he is dead, it appears we carried out vengeance in vigilante, false justice. The people need to feel reassured that we will not misuse political power as their former daimyo."

Shikamaru remained calm. "In fact, Gavin explained the importance of capturing Junichi alive. He emphasized how much he _preferred_ that outcome." The men nodded, believing the case settled. "_However_, the contract did not _very specifically state_ that Junichi's death equated a failure. As long as we returned with evidence to his crimes, our fees are to be paid." He paused for emphasis. "In full."

Eiji fumed, spat, and almost boiled over. "Are you threatening us? That is extortion, and we shall not stand for it!"

"It is not!" Sakura blurted out explosively.

Shikamaru held out his arm to forestall further complaint. Her adamant words quieted the three representatives. "Troublesome…" He sighed before continuing. "In the shinobi world, we follow contracts to the letter. If it does _not_ say capture _alive only_, we take it to mean dead _or_ alive." He eyed them carefully, trying to read them.

After a moment, he retrieved the contract and handed it to them. "You can claim ignorance, but Konoha will still demand full payment." He waited for a moment. He wanted them to fully understand the contract they agreed to. "We understood your desire to capture Junichi alive. We tried, but we still fulfilled the contract _as it was written_."

The standoff felt tense, but the contract forced the representatives to recognize Konoha's efforts. Jun rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You know what we have to do, Hideo."

* * *

I do hope everybody enjoys this. My next chapter shouldn't take nearly as long. I _really_ hope that statement to be true this time.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,014  
Story Page Count: 15


	44. Chapter 41: Missive of the Fox

**Chapter 41:**  
**Missive of the Fox**

ANBU proved too much for Kaede. The next ten iterations fell in short order; the ANBU assassins never broke a sweat. Unlike Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi, the masked warriors successfully fought her then him, then her, then him one-on-one, in repeating fashion. While the genin paid special attention to each repetition, ANBU easily dispatched the army of individuals named Kaede.

First, each Kaede attacked as an individual. If they wanted to scare or unnerve Konoha, they were failing miserably. There had to be another reason. Each Kaede appeared different. Obviously, the gender cycled. Also obvious, each Kaede had different body types and muscle tones. Less obvious in the heat of battle, each Kaede had different combinations of hair and eye color. Skin tone also changed each reiteration.

Second, tactics hardly changed. Kaede attacked full strength and ignored openings. Kaede only concerned him or herself with defending sensitive, non-vital areas that could paralyze. Kaede also instinctively avoided jutsu meant only to paralyze. No matter what, the attacker(s?) wanted to avoid capture. The single-named army seemed to rush to death while confident in victory.

Third, every Kaede killed left behind a corpse quick to rot. The first body already decomposed to naught but dust. The wind carried it aloft while ANBU and Kaede continued to fight. Though Moegi found it disgusting, she investigated every corpse she could. They appeared to be regular bodies at first glance, but they rotted far too quickly. They also fell apart at little provocation.

Fourth and most disturbing, somebody died an instant before the next Kaede appeared. The cause was always the same. Without exception, an elder or infirmed faded into the black from natural causes – usually cardiac arrest. Stranger still, the victim was always the same gender as the most recent Kaede.

"There's a link." Moegi spoke up suddenly as the eleventh Kaede died. She watched the freshly fallen corpse begin to decompose. "I don't know how Kaede does it, but it's all linked." Konohamaru and Udon exchanged confused looks as another civilian gasped his last breath. The civilians again panicked, and Moegi continued. "We need to _capture_ Kaede."

"What if that doesn't stop anything?" Udon countered. He looked to Konohamaru for support, but their leader contemplated in silence. He shook his head and returned his attention to Moegi. "Besides, ANBU knows what they're doing."

Moegi bottled an aggravated sigh. "It's not enough. Look at Kaede!" Her teammates followed her advice, and she felt relieved. "He…" She paused to correct herself. "She doesn't care what happens to her body." She paused and bit her lower lip. "I don't think 'death' affects Kaede the way we think it does…"

Konohamaru finally responded. "Okay, we have to capture Kaede. _If_…" He forestalled Udon's complaint. "…that doesn't stop anything, we focus on finding wherever the enemy encampment is and leave Konoha's defenses to ANBU." He looked up to another hysterical cry for a lost loved one. He drew a deep breath and prepared for the worst. "Move!"

"Whoa there!" Two massive pairs of arms caught them in mid-leap. Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon looked over their shoulders in surprise to see the brothers Iwafutae. The giants gently placed the genin on the ground.

Ichi spoke first. "Small genin should not interfere in adult business."

Ni nodded. "Yes, even if it is little adult business."

"Otouto-san! Your rudeness reflects poorly on Iwa."

"I'm sorry onii-san!"

Ichi punched his little brother's shoulder. "You small genin will only get in the way."

Ni nodded vigorously. "That fellow is dangerous indeed. Let ANBU handle whoever it is."

The genin looked at each other as a plan coalesced in their minds. With a confident grin, they nodded. Konohamaru started. "You want to help protect Konoha, right?" One brother nodded in affirmative; the other shook in the negative. They looked at each other and reversed their answer. After a moment of confused looks, Konohamaru and crew looked to the brothers expectantly.

Ichi scratched his temple. "It's not that we _don't_ want to help…" He started nervously.

Ni scratched his eyebrow. "We only came here to help rebuild…" He finished hesitantly.

"Besides…" Ichi added positively. "Kaede is no match for your ANBU."

"That's the point!" Konohamaru almost yelled. When the brothers looked at each other perplexed, Naruto's protégé continued. "We don't know how, but, every time 'Kaede' is killed, one of our sick or elderly isn't far behind."

Ni looked over the crowd of civilians. "If the small genin are right, the situation is most dire." The brothers nodded in agreement. They observed the situation between Kaede and ANBU for a moment longer before separating from the genin. They also wanted to see the relationship between Kaede's death and those that followed.

Moegi looked around to assess the situation once more. She spotted three additional corpses decomposing at an accelerated rate. She looked around and spotted the new Kaede. He was large, and his muscles bulged and rippled under the weight of the large katana he recovered from his first incarnation.

She turned to her teammates and nodded. They nodded back in agreement. They needed to end Kaede's rampage. Quickly. Even still, they did not know how to disengage ANBU. They had no reason to listen to inexperienced genin, even if their theory was sound. No, their theory sounded ludicrous. How could Kaede rise again from the life of another? Worse still, how could Kaede change appearance and gender?

Nevertheless, the brothers Iwafutae were able to distract ANBU long enough for Konohamaru and crew to renew their attack. However, Bat and Elephant left their respective crews to deal with the brothers. They intercepted the genin team before they could reengage the dangerous and seemingly deranged Kaede. Before Konohamaru could complain, Elephant held them in place with a simple Fuuin. Bat moved to intercept Kaede.

"You disappoint me, genin." Elephant maintained perfect calm even as he berated their apparent childish actions. "I thought Ebisu would do a better job as a jonin sensei." The genin grunted as they tried to complain, but the Fuuin paralyzed all but autonomic functions. Elephant sighed. "I suppose I should hear your defense."

"You won't hurt Ichi and Ni, right?!" Konohamaru blurted out the instant he could speak again. He breathed a sigh of relief when the ANBU captain nodded. "Kaede… We don't know how he does it. He's dangerous. You can't kill him!"

Before Elephant could say anything, Moegi clarified. "Somehow, Kaede uses the life of somebody nearby to revive. We don't think you've been fighting a small army. We think you've been fighting the _same _person!"

The ANBU captain's pregnant silence was enough. The genin could almost feel his incredulous gaze. "We don't have much time." Udon insisted. "Look at the bodies. They're rotting too quickly." He waited almost breathlessly. They had to convince Elephant, Bat, and the rest of ANBU to withdraw from the latest Kaede.

Elephant did as the genin asked of him. With a sickening feeling settling into the pit of his stomach, he noted the incongruities. Something definitely was not right. Still, any number of jutsu could explain the situation. With no time to counter their argument, he rushed through hand seals. In what seemed like an instant, the genin felt the grip of paralysis, and Ichi and Ni stood off to one side unable to move.

"We have to remove this threat." Elephant looked to the inexperienced genin. "While I applaud your ability to observe the battlefield, your analysis shows your lack of experience." He sighed. "I have to admit I admire the certain creativity." He turned and paused. He was not willing to completely ignore their conclusion, but even Orochimaru required a host body.

Elephant rejoined the fray, and Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon could only observe. The pattern repeated. When a Kaede fell, another Kaede jumped in. The warrior looked different each time, and his/her gender cycled perfectly. However, each iteration matched in both psychology and fighting style.

To conserve chakra, the ANBU teams took turns fighting. Ebisu's genin team decided to make the best of the situation. The paralysis prevented them from doing anything, so they decided to focus. They had to regain lost chakra, and they had to come up with some sort of plan.

They knew what worked. Kaede never really cared to understand jutsu used against him/her. Moegi could stay afloat to act as their eagle eye and snare. Udon could damage Kaede without landing any fatal blows. Konohamaru could provide support, and he had one more trick up his sleeve.

They just had to figure out how to escape. Elephant's Fuuin was the difficult part. He was incredibly skilled. They witnessed four more Kaede warriors fall before they could even form a plan. Then, their answer came like a force of nature. The ground shook with righteous indignation, and they almost felt the heat from the origin's fury.

"Stand down!" Tsunade's voice boomed over the battlefield. The effect really was instantaneous. Even Kaede stopped to take a defensive look around. She stood firm between Ebisu's genin and the battle raging before them. Bat and Elephant appeared kneeling before her. Kaede chortled beyond. "What's going on here?"

Bat responded to the question for what it was. A demand. "We have engaged an enemy threatening Konoha, Hokage-sama. Unfortunately, their numbers are larger than we anticipated. Other ANBU teams scour the surrounding forests for any signs of their reinforcements."

Tsunade motioned over her shoulder to Konohamaru and his gang. "Release them." Elephant never hesitated. She turned to the young genin and repeated her question, far gentler. "What's going on here?"

Moegi countered Bat immediately. "ANBU won't find reinforcements!" She met the Hokage's questioning gaze with all the courage she could muster. "I, uh… You see…" She stammered helplessly.

However, Konohamaru inherited Naruto's refusal to adhere to societal norms. "Moegi-chan noticed it, first. Whenever Kaede dies, one of our people dies. He is the…" He tried to count and gave up. "Over a dozen have died."

Udon nodded. "Kaede at first seems mad." He paused as he reevaluated his choice of words. "Psychologically unstable?" He shook his head. "Anyway, he just doesn't care about defense. He just attacks, attacks, attacks until you're forced to kill him."

Bat and Elephant nodded. They agreed. However, there had to be another explanation. Then they noticed the heat. They raised their heads and slowly noticed a glow. When they stared Tsunade in the eyes, they knew what was wrong.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune panted as she caught up with her mentor. "You shouldn't use that Fuuin!" Of course, it was too late. Tsunade woke in a cold sweat. When she assessed the situation as best as she could, she activated the rejuvenating Fuuin and rushed out of her private, secure medical room. "Tsunade-sama…"

She witnessed the destruction – the devastation – for the first time. "You save Kaede the trouble." Kaede's malicious drawl floated across the battlefield. He attacked the nearest ANBU and awaited retaliation. Instead, they fought defensively and only pushed him back. He frowned. "You bore Kaede!"

With ANBU changing tactics, Tsunade turned to the genin. Her face already grew pale. "Do you have a plan?"

Konohamaru nodded. "Yeah." He took a deep breath. "ANBU's too strong, so Kaede draws them in to kill him." There was a slight pause. "…or her." He added hastily. "We have to capture _him_, alive." His emphasis indicated he meant the male Kaede currently engaged with ANBU. "We have to _incapacitate_ him before anybody else dies!"

Tsunade turned to the ANBU captains. "Tell your squads to pull back. If Ebisu's genin think they can stop Kaede, I believe them." She was honestly counting more on Naruto's guidance. He specialized in the unexpected. Perhaps in combination with Ebisu's training, the genin could surprise everybody.

She did not have to wait long. Elephant and Bat quickly ordered their squads to retreat. Without hesitation, Konoha's Fifth molded her small reserve of chakra. She had not fully recovered, and she knew she was pushing it. Still, Konoha was _her_ village. She knew she had to put a stop to Kaede's rampage.

Tsunade shaped the desired jutsu, grabbed the genin, and made a mad dash for Kaede. It was one of those moments when the entire world seemed to pause. It was a moment when everything could pass in the blink of an eye. "Get. Out. Of. My. _Village_!" Tsunade punctuated each word as she bellowed, and the moment was over. Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, and Kaede were nowhere in view.

Tsunade panted. Her entire body trembled. She closed her eyes, and, for a second, her genjutsu dropped. Her body glistened with sweat, and she fell to her knees. Shizune walked to her shaking body and gently wrapped a tarp around her shoulders. The senior nodded her head in thanks, and the junior held back tears.

* * *

Kisame was at a significant disadvantage. Even with Samehada's chakra-stealing ability, he was vastly outnumbered. The shinobi knew his strengths, and they quickly studied his weaknesses. Before long, they would easily take him out. He smirked. Everything was going according to plan.

The guardians acted in concert with the shinobi of Konoha. Upon closer inspection, they were a lot like the bijuu. They appeared to be raw chakra, but there were some differences. They were beings purely in tune with the elements. The four elements represented were fire, earth, water, and wind. Respectively, they appeared to take the forms of a bird, feline, reptile, and serpent.

Hawk showed little sign of juuken. While her taijutsu relied on reading her opponent, she did not seek to control his tenketsu. Instead, she got in close to disrupt his rhythm. His massive head cleaver was no use while she was in his face. She took advantage of every opening. She grappled him into a headlock. She buckled his knees.

Kisame bucked and fought his way free. Anko quickly met him. She ducked under the wide arc of his swing and sent jabs of pain through his kidneys. She was relentless and chased him as he tried to recuperate. She sent a painful roundhouse to his jaw and leapt back just before he could retaliate. To rub salt in the wound, she flung her arms forward and summoned snakes to wrap and bite at him.

His head spun, but he smiled in ecstasy. If he died here, he joined his fellow conspirators without regrets. He was Madara's lieutenant. He had known the true leader of Akatsuki since before he picked up his first sword. He ensured Madara's vision continued. He also knew he was merely a diversion. However, he was dedicated. He would die in battle or bite off his tongue before capture.

He almost laughed when Kiba's altered hand tore through his shoulder. He barely avoided Akamaru's fangs. He admitted they were an annoyance, but he gave them little more credit. He swung Samehada in revenge and clipped Akamaru's rear heel. He puffed up when Kiba growled, and he spat out a small pool of water before the altered shinobi could retaliate.

Yamato watched from midrange. Kisame was not desperate. He narrowed his eyes. Their opponent was fighting a losing battle. As he attempted to dissect Akatsuki's motives, he planted his good hand upon the soft loam. He carefully molded chakra. In order to craft Mokuton jutsu, it was easier to use both hands. Still, he sent waves of branches forward. He had to be ready at a moment's notice.

After their initial distraction, Shino and Sai mostly waited and watched from long range. Shino took what opportunities he could to drain off Kisame's abundant chakra. He did not allow his insects to gorge themselves, but their opponent seemed to overflow with chakra. Kisame also gained more with every successful swing of Samehada.

Shino was just as concerned as Yamato. The battle seemed too choreographed. True, Konoha and Void desperately tried to stop Kisame. However, Kisame danced around their efforts. His head cleaver Samehada sung with every drop of blood it drank in. Still worse, he almost appeared to hold back just enough to facilitate escape.

Kisame was deadly, and Samehada could kill in an instant. Shino could not explain it. Twice, their opponent could have capitalized on Kiba's aggressive mistakes. Instead, Anko nearly crippled his knee, and Hawk mutilated his off wrist. Kisame refused to give up. He fought hard, and he was still a ferocious warrior.

Yamato took advantage of Kisame's mangled wrist. He created pillars of wood to block his retreat. He created branches to needle his disfigured wrist. Kisame grew enraged with pain, and Sai sent creatures of ink to blind him. When they exploded on Samehada, they covered Kisame's world in inky blackness.

He thrashed and swung wildly. The heat of battle went to his head, and more than darkness blinded his abilities. Anko and Hawk easily slipped within his guard. Kiba and Akamaru dug deep gashes into his back. Kisame yowled in both anger and pain.

He backed up as he tried to wipe the ink from his eyes. His head slowly cleared as pain and anger battled for dominance. He stopped making genin mistakes just in time to back up into a corner. He was desperate. He knew Madara intended for him to die, but he needed to buy as much time as possible.

He held Samehada in front of him as a shield. Its bite forced his opponents to flank him, and he guarded well his vital areas. With a smirk on his face, he observed his opponents. They were clever and well organized. Even if he were fighting to win, he admitted he might have a difficult time of it. He was certain he would be victorious, but he would not be without injury.

With an ever-widening smirk, he decided exactly how to buy Akatsuki more time. He leapt forward and grabbed Anko by her neck. His mutilated wrist convulsed with unrelenting pain, but he only used it to fuel his attack. He swung Samehada and bit into Hawk's side.

He threw Anko to the ground, and she gasped for air. If not for Orochimaru's training, she hated to admit it, but his vice-like grip would have crushed her esophagus. Meanwhile, the world seemed to stop as Kisame looked at his real prize. Hawk struggled to dislodge from Samehada, but the head cleaver held fast. With a wicked laugh, Kisame swung Samehada and flung Hawk straight into a tree.

She landed hard on the ground and clutched her side. Her vision fogged and tinged black as she lost blood, and unconsciousness threatened to take her. "Kiba! Get Hawk out of there!" Yamato ordered even as pillars of wood erupted under Kisame's feet. Kiba complied with a growl. He knew he had to get Hawk to the medic, so he made a beeline for Sasame. He also knew he had to get back quickly. Kisame was liable to capitalize on the sudden momentum shift.

* * *

Neji and Tenten walked the merchant-lined streets outside the miko daimyo's estate. Neji said he wanted to reconnoiter around the village. Tenten had to agree. Zetsu had obviously targeted _them_, so she wondered if Akatsuki knew about Momiji. She was worried about Shion, but she needed to clear her head. Spending time with Neji on an investigation sounded like one solution.

Her mind wandered back to Hinata's trip _out_ of Demons. Neji's cousin ran across rogue shinobi hired to kill Momiji. The Hyuuga heiress fought off and captured the rogues, but not without raising the ire of those who loved Momiji. Tenten had to admit. In the short time they'd known the sprout, Naruto's friends grew quite fond of her.

However, the questions were unusual. "What do you know of the 'red-haired demon'?" Neji asked some merchants. "Have you seen the 'red-haired demon' near the daimyo's castle?" He asked still others. A good portion of the merchants seemed offended. Some refused to talk to him, and others still corrected him. She was a sweet, unfortunate girl whom fate did not seem to favor.

Tenten thought she knew Neji's plan. He wanted to get information out of those who wanted Momiji dead. If his plan was to get on their good side, he managed exactly that. A nearly impoverished merchant cheered up at Neji's question. "I've heard you know something about the 'red-haired demon'." The few customers he had looked up in eager anticipation.

Tenten looked around. The merchant and his patrons burned with a passion she instantly detested. They hated Momiji and wanted desperately for her destruction. To them, the innocent little girl was a monster. Internally, a portion of her being boiled with rage at how Konoha once treated Naruto. She controlled her inner fire in favor of gaining valuable information.

"A pox on the witch!" One patron said grumpily. "That monster brings nothing but trouble." Another patron heartily agreed. "Why I hear the demon made all the farm animals go on a rampage." The shrill voice of another patron cut through the noise. "Rampage? Killed 'em all I wager. Got some horrid sores all over their bodies." On and on, the clamor grew. Everybody tried to get their opinion in, twice if they thought it would help.

Then the merchant whistled with fore and pinky fingers. The merchant's wife stepped forward. She measured the shinobi gracing her husband's establishment with their presence. "I'll have to speak for my dearest. He's been mighty sick as late; no doubt that demon's fault." She paused to gauge their reaction. Rather lack thereof, as the case may be. "Professional, huh?" She nodded. "Well, why are you here?"

"Rouges were hired to kill the 'demon'." A general clamor went up with Neji's words. The patrons quieted down with a glower from the merchant. "We came to see if there was profit to be had." He looked around the establishment. "I'm not sure you can afford our services, however."

Tenten tried to figure out what Neji was playing at. The merchant's wife spoke before she had long to think. "We've seen better days, but we're willing to pay anything to get rid of that demon." She paused and lowered her voice. "The creature is _afraid_ of us. Can't seem to control our wills, so it keeps whatever patrons it can away. We'll be glad to be rid of that demon, so we can start making real profits again."

Tenten fought back a smile, but the fight did not last long. Neji seemed to have another take. "You did not hire those rogues." It was a hard statement, and the merchant, his wife, and the patrons hemmed and hawed as they looked around. "I didn't think so. You can't afford it." He paused for a moment. Tenten thought he wanted to let the insult sink in.

After a moment, Neji continued. "You hate the 'red-haired demon', but you can't do anything about it." Tenten blinked in surprise. Did he call Momiji by 'it'? "As such, I'll settle for some information. Have you seen the 'demon' use any of its powers? Can you describe its appearance?" He half chuckled. "Perhaps you can tell me who hired those rogues to kill it?"

Tenten felt she had to bite her tongue! _"It, it, it?! Even if Neji is trying to warm up to them, I can hardly stand calling poor Momiji by 'it'!"_ She screamed internally. _"I want this to be over soon. You better have a good explanation Neji."_ She felt less confident in her teammate.

The merchant and his wife gave Neji an icy glare. "You come into our house and threaten us?!" The wife almost yelled. Seeing Neji's glower, she calmed and returned to a more normal volume. "We've seen the demon talk to animals, and it sometimes glows when we have the mind to chase it away." She sneered. "It looks like a normal girl with red hair, but we know the truth."

She went on to describe Momiji in more detail than Tenten felt she should be able. She still embellished with her own devilish details. At the end of her diatribe, the wife shook her head. "We don't know who hired those ninja, but we'd thank them if we could. Perhaps another village outside the demon's influence." She practically spat. "Now if you're not going to buy anything, we'd thank you to leave."

They did leave. With nothing more to gain, Neji had no business with the merchant, his wife, or the patrons. He remained unnervingly silent for a long time. They continued to wander the streets, but Tenten could not guess their purpose. After a long walk, they stopped near the banks of a swollen river. The daimyo guardsmen inspected the rushing, muddy waters.

Tenten finally spoke up. "Are we going to tell Mizukura about what we discovered?" Neji just continued to look on. She tried to find what he was looking at. After an uncomfortably long silence, she repeated her question. "Well, are we going to tell Mizukura about what we discovered? I'm sure he could use the information for his investigation."

Neji looked at her. "No." To her questioning look, he elaborated. "Mizukura and his men have too much on their plates as it is. They need to investigate the floodwaters to find survivors and survey damage to lands, crops, and livestock." He turned and led her elsewhere.

Tenten was not satisfied with his answer. She was not satisfied with his behavior. Something was different. She just did not know what. When he suddenly stopped, she almost ran into him. "It's been a long day. Perhaps we should stop for a bite to eat."

Caught unawares, Tenten happily agreed. She did not pay attention to the menu. She just ordered something that looked good. However, the events of the day played back in her head, and she soon crashed back down to terra firma. She still tried to piece together everything that happened since Zetsu waylaid them.

Neji politely wiped his mouth and cleared his throat. "What's wrong, Tenten?" His voice and tone were the same as usual. He waited as she finished chewing. He stared almost intently into her eyes. It was hard to tell if he studied her or not.

After taking a moment to study the weather, she finally responded. "What exactly are you looking for?" She did not know how to interpret her teammate's apparently blank stare. "I mean…" She paused. "…those questions. What were you hoping for?"

"I'd like to know that, too." Mizukura pulled up a chair beside them. "I've heard you were asking around town about rumors of a 'red-haired demon'." Venom lightly bit his words.

Tenten looked between Shion's captain of the guard and Neji as her teammate answered. "I'm just trying to get a clear picture of the threats to this land." He turned his glare to Mizukura. "It is bad enough that a member of the main house was attacked, but they threatened the heir."

Tenten blinked. Neji could be cold, but he was rarely impersonal in his passions. He _used_ to hate the main branch and Hinata, but he had long since reconciled with his estranged cousin. His icy tone seemed to suggest otherwise.

Mizukura grunted in acquiescence. "We wanted to investigate that as soon as we got back, but we're preoccupied with search and rescue efforts." Tenten nodded her understanding, but she found it difficult to read Neji. "However, you know how private we are. Leave the investigation to us."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Of course." He indicated his food to the guard captain. "However, we have our own matters to discuss."

Tenten almost blinked. However, Mizukura politely excused himself and returned to his duties. Once he left, they returned to their meal. More than a few restaurant patrons watched them warily, but they enjoyed a peaceful respite.

* * *

The dignitaries of Old Tree turned and beckoned the leaf shinobi to follow. In short order, they arrived at the office of Gavin Marshall. The waning light streaming through the window highlighted his stout form. He stared into the distance and watched as the sun dipped below the horizon. Before anybody could say anything, he started calmly. "It's done, then." He spoke confidently, and his inflection spoke volumes to his composure.

Hideo spoke first. "Do you know what you've done, Gavin-kun?" He spoke softly, but his tone addressed his disappointment. He continued when Gavin responded with a shuddered breath. "Did you know how these ninja would take the language of the contract?"

Gavin turned to face the dignitaries and shinobi. His face was set in stony confidence and icy indifference. He regarded the shinobi with some gratitude, but he revealed no further emotion. "I could not, in good conscience, tie the hands of these fine shinobi." They noticed the glass of liquor for the first time as his hands trembled. As the ice rattled, he continued. "You were too gentle with that murderous slime."

"It was never your call to make!" Eiji exclaimed angrily. He shot the leaf shinobi an angry glower, but he humbly recognized their contract fulfilled. "Junichi is…" He paused with a grimace. "…_was_ a member of this land, same as you!" He was obviously hot under the collar. Then again, Eiji seemed the type to always be hot under the collar.

Sakura grew tired of the bickering. "Now that we've settled the contract, we should really be going." The dignitaries turned to look at her as if they forgot about her for a moment. "Well, we _do _have other obligations." She was irate. Their squabbles kept them from their next assignment.

Jun chose the moment to speak up. "You'll be paid, but perhaps you should hear just _why_ we are so troubled." His calm, contemplative tone told Shikamaru diplomacy was in order. The chunin nodded his understanding, and Jun continued. "Gavin first met Junichi behind the bars of his slave cells nearly two score ago."

The leaf shinobi decided to mostly listen. Combined with information gathered from Junichi, a lot of puzzle pieces finally fit together. They interjected to ask questions or gauge Gavin's reaction. He did not appear repentant. However, he did angrily interject his own perspective or opinion. The important facts still painted a tale waiting for revenge.

Gavin and his elder sister came into Junichi's possession. Junichi hated selling children, and he had connections within the growing rebellion. Among his connections, Junichi found Hideo, Jun, and Eiji. Perhaps ironically, the late daimyo trusted them with the treasury, diplomacy, and internal affairs, respectively. Jun was even in line for the daimyo's throne.

They held power and influence in Old Tree, and they secretly supported the growing rebellion. Until they were ready for a coup d'état, they did little things to disrupt the power and control of the late daimyo and his cronies. They even bought and freed slaves, as the laws allowed at least. After all as part of Junichi's deception, Old Tree officially reported 'slaves' as 'indentured servants' paying off a debt. Junichi even proposed using debtors' prisons to sell the façade to other lands.

In spite of his proposals, Junichi much preferred selling children to rebels. Unfortunately, the staunchest supporters of the late daimyo often demanded young slaves to more easily bend to their wills. While the rebels were able to pool resources to purchase Gavin, the daimyo's favorite courtier easily outbid for his elder sister.

The courtier trained her. He used her until she was broken beyond use. He finally disposed of her.

Having escaped such cruel tortures, Gavin continued to blame Junichi. Even after Hideo officially freed and adopted him as a young boy, his resentment and hatred grew. Though Hideo desired Junichi brought to justice, Gavin refused to see reason over his vendetta. The courtier died in the coup d'état, so everything fell onto Junichi's shoulders.

"A fair trial would only highlight the supposed _good_ that vile man did!" Gavin spat not without reason. Naruto felt a familiar knot in his stomach. Hatred was easy to give into, and it was easy to feed. He saw his battle with Nagato all over again. Junichi committed heinous, disgusting crimes, but he tried repentance in the one way he thought he could.

Naruto hated the atrocities committed by Junichi. He pitied the man who wanted to be a farmer and ended up dragged into power-abusing schemes of evil tyrants. He felt Kyuubi no Kitsune nod grimly. He felt more than heard her message. The trip to Old Tree was worth the headache. They learned how woefully underprepared Naruto was to use the bijuu's chakra, and they again learned how twisted lives can form from innocent dreams.

The leaf shinobi left Old Tree with a fulfilled contract. They decided to leave Junichi's treasure in the land they were stolen from. Besides, Konoha would receive payment, and Old Tree's authorities arrested Gavin for his part in Junichi's death. With grisly realization, Naruto knew Gavin would have a hard road ahead. In his quest for vengeance, he falsely represented the creed of the shinobi, and he effectively stole from the land's treasury.

Distracted as they were, they were still proud shinobi of the leaf. They easily noticed a hulking figure come into view, strangely void of chakra. They recognized the armored figure easily. The lamp-like globe bobbing around him was a dead giveaway. Gayt simply stood and awaited the young shinobi, and Star happily sung in the breeze.

Her voice was soothingly airy; though, they understood none of her foreign lyrics. On the other hand, Gayt's voice seemed to boom with uncharacteristic authority as they approached. "I have come to deliver your next orders." He held out his hand, and green flame erupted just above the palm of his hand. As it spread, a scroll appeared.

When the green flame dispersed, Shikamaru reached out to grab the parchment from the solemn warrior. He unfurled it and read it carefully. With a slight sigh, he handed the orders roughly to Naruto. Confused, the blond genin read as Shikamaru explained. "We have three assignments clumped together in Earth, of all places. Troublesome."

He let the revelation sink in for a moment. Naruto was wide-eyed as he stared at the orders. "Earth-sama wants us…" He pointed at Naruto to indicate what he really thought. "…to guard and entertain his youngest daughter while he's out hunting." He sighed again and muttered something reminiscent of 'troublesome' under his breath.

"When he returns, his regular guard will take over as we head to next location of the chunin exams for guard duty."

"Wait!" Sakura interrupted. "Why wouldn't Earth-sama hire rock shinobi to protect his daughter while he's out?"

Shikamaru again indicated Naruto. "Earth-sama still has political relations with the Uzumaki. I realize it's troublesome, but I'm sure Kanaeru has her reasons." He paused for a moment. "I wouldn't put it past Taketo-san to use Naruto diplomatically." He noticed Sakura and Hinata's concerned looks and mildly regretted his words.

"Listen, no matter how we slice it; the Uzumaki have diplomatic ties they have to maintain. They've helped relations between Fire and Earth, so we're in no position to complain if they want us to return the favor. As shinobi, we're even more obligated because we're being paid." He was glad nobody interrupted, but he grew more curious at Naruto's continued silence.

"Guys…" Naruto started slowly. His mission teammates leaned slightly. The orders mostly concerned him. Suddenly, he smiled and gloriously rang out news Shikamaru seemed to gloss over. "This is a great opportunity for a future Hokage!"

They all nearly face planted.

_"Of course, he sees the best in everything."_ Shikamaru and Sakura thought. Of course, they were somewhat impressed. Whether intentional or accidental, he tied the importance of diplomatic relations in with the office of Hokage. Naruto looked at his teammates as if they were strange. Hinata only smiled. He never let go of his dreams. He never stopped looking towards his goal, even if he meandered and life sidetracked him.

The long silence broke when Gayt cleared his throat. Star's melodious voice dropped off as the armored man spoke. "I have my own assignment. I've delivered the document as requested, so I'll be on my way." The leaf shinobi stared at him as he continued into Old Tree. His voice was clearer than ever, and it boomed authoritatively.

As they heard Star break into her melody again, the shinobi of Konoha pressed on. They decided on a slower pace. The seat of Earth was much closer than Whirlpools, and they had plenty of time before their hosts expected them. They were curious about Gayt's task, but they had a timetable to keep. With a complicated task behind them, they moved towards the dawn of a new assignment.

* * *

They called him a runner. It was not a title or anything fancy. It was close, to be sure. His job often involved running from shinobi, after all. He was famous and had no talent for disguises. In his line of work, that combination was usually fatal. Instead, he made it his calling card. If you wanted information stolen from shinobi or meetings set up for illicit dealings, you called Koyama Rei – the man who could outrun lightning.

To a man who relied on his reputation, a smoldering heap was never a good sign. He looked over what was once Junichi's base of operations with a mingled feeling of disgust and dread. He had been just one small step away from the biggest deal of his career, and he did not see the leader of Akatsuki as forgiving. He groaned as he approached the collapsed cliff side.

He knew he had to bring something back. He could not afford to return empty-handed. He kicked a rock and cursed his luck. Junichi promised Akatsuki the son of a former jinchuriki. He scratched the base of his shoulder-length ponytail. "Ther'in not'in' Ah can thin' to offer Akatsuki tha' Junichi mighta had." His voice was deep and did not waiver even in his fear.

A tumbling stone drew his attention from the defaced cliff. A single bead of sweat rolled down his dark, suntanned skin. He looked around with some anticipation. If somebody stalked him, he might have to make a quick escape. "Musta been mah imagination." He shook his head to clear the start. Koyama Rei was a professional who could ignore such nonsense.

He returned his attention to the ruined cliff side. With a heavy sigh, he began his investigation. After a short while turning over stones, he noticed one excavation site. As he approached, his keen senses roughly told him what happened. "Tha' Junichi fella really tore da house down he'e." He knelt down and picked up a blackened aukasou. "Blew the place to smithereens hi'self."

Rei whistled. He was impressed. Junichi died a free man rather than succumb to the law. He tossed the useless stone aside. It could no longer hold jutsu. Instead, he concentrated on signs piled up around the excavation site.

Whoever hunted Junichi took most of his treasure. Not that it really mattered. It was useless to Akatsuki, so Rei found it just as undesirable. He was a professional above such temptations. He pocketed what gold he could find.

As his hand brushed another aukasou, he froze. His skin prickled with goose pimples. The stone was half-buried, but he still felt the power it held. With a gleeful expression and near giddy laughter, he eagerly dug the blue, flame-like crystal from the ground and palmed it. It was the most beautiful object he had ever laid eyes upon. It would ensure many future jobs from Akatsuki and a bigger paycheck than some kid of a former jinchuriki was worth.

The aukasou had touched an _actual_ jinchuriki!

"I' was worth bein' born a sensor. Jus' for dis moment!" With all the self-control he could muster, Rei stood and secured his prize. He drove thoughts of further treasure from his mind. He had what he needed. He had something far more valuable.

He looked in the direction he came from, towards Earth. He showed off too much, and an Iwa shinobi patrol spotted him. He was not about to make that mistake again. He had to sneak quietly back to Akatsuki. His reputation depended on it more now than any other time in his career.

With a single bound, he took off into the forest at top speed. He was confident no one could match his speed. Konoha's Fourth might have been able to match him, but he was long dead. Koyama Rei was the man who could outrun lightning, and his destination was clear in his mind. He aimed for Akatsuki's most secure and well-hidden research facility.

He did not care for dealing with Tobi, but the only two remaining members seemed to take orders from him. His career depended on it, so Rei made no more complaints than mild, internal disgust. Notwithstanding whom he had to deal with, he would maintain top speed and only break when necessary.

He needed minimal rest. His only real concern was caloric intake. He had to hunt big game to keep up his speed, so he had to be extra cautious of shinobi patrols. Still, he knew the terrain well and made excellent time. In half the time it would take normal shinobi, he knocked on the doors to the secret Akatsuki laboratory.

Rei held in a groan when he saw the mad, cackling scientist accompanying Tobi. In spite of the genial greeting, he knew they would not invite him over the threshold of the facility. They sat comfortably and drank tea outside. It was not his first visit, and he desperately hoped it would not be his last. After what seemed an eternity, Tobi finally spoke.

"When does Junichi wish to meet?"

Tobi's lucid demeanor took Rei aback. He shook his head and pulled out a small box. "Unfortune'atley, Junichi is no long'r able tah join us." His teeth clenched and face tightened as he felt searing anger wash over him. Obviously, his client was not pleased.

"I hope you did not come all the way here just to tell me this rather…" Tobi paused as he pretended to grab the right word from the air. "…disappointing news. I heard you were the best in the field." Though anger radiated from him, he maintained a pleasant tone.

Rei fought through the unpleasant feeling. "Ah heard Junichi changed plans while Ah was en route. Ya see; he foun' a big'er prize." He pushed the box towards his client. "Ah thin' you'll fin' tha' rad'er interestin'." He knew the box contained his only out. If the pitch shifts in the background cackling was any indication, he would not enjoy a displeased client.

Behind his mask, Tobi narrowed his eyes. The mad scientist grew more excited, and the reason was obvious. If Rei failed to deliver anything of value, he was the next test subject. He opened the mask, and his eyes widened. He eyed the confident grin plastered on the face of the man across from him. "Koyama Rei…" He broke into flamboyant laughter that momentarily stifled the mad scientist behind him.

"This is a prize!" Tobi exclaimed more in character. "You do not put your reputation to waste. Oh no, I rather like you actually." He chuckled delightedly. "In fact, I think the morbid fellow has another assignment ready for you." Under his mask, he actually smiled. The aukasou itself was worthless. However, it had _touched_ something of splendid consequence.

The cackling mad scientist stood, and his eerie laughter reached the foreground. Rei refused to shrink back from the frightful presence. Instinctively, he knew, somehow, Tobi was no in charge of Akatsuki. He almost shuddered when a notebook was set before him. Maybe, Tobi had _always_ been in charge of Akatsuki. That thought frightened him more than anything else did.

Nevertheless, Koyama Rei prized himself as a professional. He picked up the notebook and thumbed through it. As he skimmed the pages, he realized it was similar to the various Bingo Books. Only, it had a lot fewer entries with far more detailed biographies. "If dis is da next task ya has for me, Ah'd like tah at least know what e'is Ah'm lookin' a'."

Tobi maintained his chipper tone. "Why, I want you to recruit them." He paused to watch the wide-eyed expression cross Rei's face. He enjoyed the mixture of surprise and apprehension. "You'll find all the information you need if you read each page thoroughly. I'll authorize any assistance you need, but none of Akatsuki's men will accompany you."

He chuckled as the other man squirmed almost imperceptibly. "I recommend you offer some prize or incentive." His words were obviously condescending. "The first one for example…" Tobi waited for Rei to turn to the first entry before he continued. "…simply wants to fight strong opponents. He has one rival, in particular, you might…" He paused with some delight. "I don't know. …direct him towards." He phrased it almost like a question.

Rei swallowed hard. "Ah dun know if dey'll lis'en to me, but Ah'll give it mah all." He stood up from the table. He understood his time was up. As he backed away, Tobi held up a hand to forestall him. He looked around and half expected an attack.

"You'll receive double your normal commission for bringing me this otherwise unremarkable rock. It has witnessed something of immeasurable value." His voice was once again solemn. "You'll be paid your regular commission for each rogue you bring me from that book. If you manage to bring me all six, I can guarantee that you'll be set for life."

Koyama Rei disappeared into the shadows more pleased than he had ever been. He knew the aukasou itself was worthless, but it told a story that saved his life. He also scored six jobs with near unlimited access to Akatsuki's resources. They were six very difficult jobs to be sure, but he was up to the task.

With his departure, Madara dropped all pretenses. He harshly grabbed the box containing the aukasou and shoved it into the waiting scientist's arms. "Take that inside immediately and begin the necessary experiments."

The mad scientist's grin spread impossibly wide. "Sadly, patience is required. It might take years to set it up properly. In the meantime, the bond between jinchuriki and bijuu grows stronger. I'm sure there are faster ways to track our quarry. Are you sure of this course, _Tobi_-sama?"

Madara waggled his finger mockingly. "Consider it a backup plan." When the mad scientist did not budge, he decided to indulge the maniac's curiosity. "I have learned never to leave anything to chance. My spies tell me easily enough where the Kyuubi no Kitsune wanders. However careful my planning, you will notice Akatsuki is in shambles. If my current plan fails, I shall require more followers _and_ a very special item."

The mad scientist nodded in understanding and moved to open the box. "I would prefer you do that _inside_." Madara interrupted. "I have a…" He paused to turn and look towards a thick brace of trees and branches. "…guest to attend to."

Madara did not turn to ensure the mad scientist retreated into the laboratory. He could tell easily enough from the fading manic laughter. "Oh, I know you're there. It's no use hiding." He shrugged. "I don't really know how you managed to follow Koyama Rei, but you're in **_my_** territory now!"

A heavily armored figure dropped from the trees. He landed with a surprisingly graceful _thud_ upon the soft loam. As he stood, a fleck of light flittered around him. He stood firm and unflinching under the heated gaze of the masked Uchiha.

"It seems you are a kousotsu of the Uzumaki." Madara admired the intricate Fuuin etched lightly yet permanently on the armor's surface; no normal eyes could see them. "I wonder what sumitsuki you serve. Who could completely mask your chakra, even from me?"

* * *

Thus ends the fourth arc of _The Path We Walk_. The final arc starts next chapter. It is not the end of my Naruto divergence fan fiction just yet. It _is_ the end of the current book.

As always, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and I hope to see some constructive criticism. Of course, outright flames will be ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,020  
Story Page Count: 16


	45. Chapter 42: Twisted

**Chapter 42:  
Twisted**

Kaede whistled as he looked out over Konoha in the distance. "That's one impressive time/space jutsu." He looked over his shoulder to the genin ready to stop him. "Kaede is adequately impressed. It seems Kaede underestimated Konoha." He grinned malevolently and turned around. He studied his opponents for a moment.

He seemed disinterested – at best – and overall insulted. Something about his demeanor changed, but the only outward sign was his speech. His words were cold. "Usually, my opponents are too distracted to notice what's going on around them. It's rare that I have to work for my prize, but I think, this time, I'll have a little fun."

"_Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" Konohamaru ran at his team's target in triplicate. The giant of a man easily dispatched the first, but the rest of the genin took cover before he could refocus. The remaining _Kage Bushin_ proved more resilient. They ducked and weaved through their target's assault.

Unknown to Kaede, Moegi sailed overhead. She swayed and twisted as if expertly skiing down a snowy slope. She watched their opponent for an opening or any weakness to exploit. She kept Konohamaru as safe as she could with timely advice. With her aerial view, she easily conducted the battle. Time was of the essence. They had to quickly subdue their target.

Konohamaru knew he did not have the same level of chakra as Naruto. Just summoning two _Kage Bushin _taxed his chakra reserves, and he sacrificed one to ensure his teammates could get into position. He could not safely call another to face their giant opponent. Instead, he focused on his taijutsu. He ducked and weaved, and he awaited an opportunity.

Kaede swung in massive arcs, and he often left gaping openings. Konohamaru did not fall for his traps. If he dipped into an opening, he knew retaliation would follow. Instead, he maneuvered around their giant opponent. Eventually, either the original or copy got behind Kaede.

The one behind leapt and caught the burly attacker in a headlock. _"Huh, this might be easier than we thought."_ Konohamaru pondered their tactics just long enough for Kaede eviscerate the Konohamaru attacking from the front. Wide eyed, he was not prepared for the next assault.

Kaede flipped and pile-drove the real Konohamaru into the dirt. The impact drove air from his lungs, and he wheezed and spat. His eyes clenched in pain, and Moegi had to swoop down to save him. Kaede watched their escape and tried to ponder the aerial maneuver.

He did not have long to ponder as Udon interrupted. He threw a half-punch and a half-uppercut. As Kaede recovered, Udon sent a half-knee into his jaw. He continued a seemingly relentless assault of his strange taijutsu as Moegi helped Konohamaru recover.

Konohamaru coughed and wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "We have to get in there. Udon can't keep up his _Yuurei Kowasu_ forever." He stood, wobbled as he took a few steps, and stopped to catch his breath.

Moegi knew their team leader was right. She slapped her cheeks and walked up next to him. "We've got to be careful. I'm sure he is at least beginning to understand the basics of my _Kami no Motsure_."

Konohamaru nodded. "You're probably right." He punched a fist into an open palm. "If Boss were here, he'd know exactly what to do." He looked to Moegi. "We can't let Tsunade-sama down. It's now or never."

As they prepared to step towards the battle, Udon flew past them. They stared in the direction he came from blankly. They were too startled to feel the terror they knew they should feel. Kaede marched towards them as he wiped sweat from his brow.

Udon pushed off the tree that caught him. His eye was swollen half-shut, and a shallow gash split his temple. He swallowed gulps of air as he tried to refocus, gather, and mold chakra. He knew he had to rejoin the fight as quickly as possible.

Konohamaru launched forward and threw a punch. Kaede caught him mid-swing. "You brats are trying my patience." He dropped the genin and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to his gut. He spat blood as he flew into Moegi.

Kaede tilted his head one way. "Don't know why the Fifth sent you here alone to fight me." He looked towards Konoha. "I don't know why she moved us away from the village either. You were safe there with the Fifth and her doting ANBU." He turned in time to see Konohamaru already in his face.

Kaede just laughed as he dodged a fierce hook. He caught the retaliatory knee and threw him into Moegi again. Konohamaru managed to recover just before hitting her. She was still prone from the last attack, and he did not want to injure her. Instead, he landed on all fours right over her. Startled, she could only blink.

For the briefest of moments, they stared at one another and blushed. However, Konohamaru had an idea. He leaned down feigning injury and whispered in her ear. "You guys got to show off first, but I think it's time I broke out my _own_ taijutsu." He waited for her confirmation before rolling over and inspecting his palms. A particularly sharp stone bit into the butt of one palm, but he could still throw a punch.

With feigned effort, Konohamaru got to his feet and excavated the sliver of stone. He patted dirt off his trousers as Moegi stood and created a sign. Udon wiped his upper lip dry before entering his fighting stance. Kaede's grin widened as he watched.

Konohamaru nodded, and Udon catapulted forward. Moegi closed her eyes and focused her chakra. She felt and heard everything around her. She smelled their team leader's blood as he spread it across his scarf. Her lips twitched in slight pain as she lifted off the ground. She sensed it clearly. The time was close in coming.

Udon had recovered little. Even so, he resumed his assault on Kaede with his fierce bursts of chakra. He shortly ran out of stamina again, but Konohamaru jumped between his teammate and their opponent. He caught the giant's punch and redirected the force as best as he could. Mouthing his thanks, Udon retreated. Konohamaru took only a moment to assess the situation.

Obviously, they succeeded in wearing their opponent out. He sweated heavily and tried to hide a need to catch his breath. _"That's Udon for you. His _Yuurei Kowasu_ doesn't cause any physical harm, but it still wears on you. Not as effective as Hyuuga juuken, but it gets the job done."_ Konohamaru spared a brief glance towards Moegi. _"Still gotta buy time."_

Udon wiped his nose as he panted. He only hoped he wore Kaede out enough. The man was tough. Unlike Pein however, he was susceptible to _Yuurei Kowasu_. The blasts of raw chakra drained him, but they weakened the target enough for his teammates to otherwise subdue. He turned his attention to Moegi. Hopefully, Kaede had no clue just how useful her _Kami no Motsure_ was.

With a bored expression, Kaede caught a hook and a jab from Konohamaru. "Is that all you've got? You were imaginative enough to catch an inkling of my ultimate jutsu, but you're really starting to bore me." He kneed the genin and then punched him into the ground. With a grunt of dissatisfaction, he stepped back.

Konohamaru laughed as he spat blood and rose again. Kaede was not impressed. He simply prepared for another assault. He blinked stupidly as the genin swung far too early. "Have you taken one too many hits to…?" He flew into the ground before he could finish his statement.

He replayed what just happened as he pushed himself up. _"The brat missed. I know he did…"_ He shook his head to try to clear the cobwebs. _"What was that?"_ He pushed himself to his feet only to see Konohamaru uppercut far too early. He put his arms up to block only to realize his mistake.

Kaede bit the edges of his tongue as he flew upward. _"That scarf is alive?!"_ He landed hard on his back and looked to the genin in amazement. _"That _Rasengan_ was impressive. Certainly better for ending an engagement. This taijutsu gives him extra reach."_ He stood and concentrated on the end of Konohamaru's scarf balled up like a fist.

Kaede soon learned his mistake. If he concentrated on the scarf, the genin delivered rapid punches and kicks. If he concentrated on the genin, he received a powerful blow from the scarf. Like the _Kage Bushin_, he felt like he fought more than one opponent.

While he fought the leader, he forgot about the other members of the team. Konohamaru fought carefully. He watched his opponent and did not take any unnecessary risks. He attacked based on his target's focus. His taijutsu took less chakra than Udon's _Yuurei Kowasu_, and it was not as flashy as Moegi's _Kami no Motsure_. However, it had its uses.

After some time, he felt the signal. Moegi was ready. "Now!" He shouted and fell back. Udon jumped in behind Kaede. He half hammered closed fists downwards to drive Kaede to his knees. "It's my turn!" Konohamaru smiled as their target focused on him.

Before Kaede could realize his mistake, Konohamaru launched Moegi at him with his 'living' scarf. She sprang from its open palm and used the sun as cover as she dove towards him headfirst. She hit his chest with less force than he anticipated, but the next series of events truly shocked him.

Kaede did not know why his body refused to move. His body seemed to seize up, so he could not retaliate. He could only watch as Moegi revealed just how they intended to capture him. Her hair snaked out in powerful strands to bind his arms and legs. Even as he struggled against his bindings, he realized something else felt wrong.

He felt sick. As if he had the flu, he felt his muscles sapped of strength. He struggled to breath, and he snuffled against the urge to sneeze. He tried to talk, but his tongue felt like sandpaper. He smiled even as he wheezed through a clenched throat. _"I'll have to thank Madara for this wonderful experiment!"_

Konohamaru approached the downed opponent and looked around. "Is everybody okay?" His scarf was limp and lifeless once more.

"I'm fine." Moegi stated plainly, as she fiddled with her hair. It seemed to squirm against her efforts to tame it in her strange hairstyle.

Udon took a deep, refreshing breath before he answered. "A little worse for wear, but I'll live." He held paper seals prepared for their prisoner.

Ebisu's genin team properly applied the paper seals to their prisoner. They could not risk him escaping, so they restricted his chakra and paralyzed his limbs. They also paralyzed his mouth when his constant taunts got to their nerves. They carried him back to town on a stretcher.

Konohamaru and Moegi elected to spare Udon the burden. He received the most injury in the fight. His eye was almost completely swollen shut. They suspected his wrists were twisted or broken.

Still, they were elated. They finished a mission on their own. They used taijutsu Ebisu taught them successfully – for the first time on their own. They protected Konoha while their Boss was out on an extended mission. Of all they had to look forward to, they most anticipated bragging about their accomplishments to Naruto.

They arrived in town to meet a pleasantly surprised ANBU. At least they thought so. It was hard to tell from under their masks and professional demeanor, but they gave the distinct impression of gratitude. Elephant and Bat ordered their squads to take Kaede to interrogation. The ANBU captains decided to stay with Tsunade as she addressed the genin.

The genin were worried; though, they did not fear what she had to say. They fretted instead over her health. Outwardly, she appeared the same as usual. She looked younger than they knew she really was. Because of Naruto, they knew she wore a genjutsu for a disguise.

No, they saw something deeper. She leaned feebly on a cane, and her eyes almost seemed dead. As she observed them each in turn, they noticed uncontrolled muscle spasms at one corner of her lips and eyes. They wondered if the time/space jutsu overextended whatever remained of her chakra reserves. Without the necessary nourishment, they pondered how much chakra she lost in her coma.

"You did a great thing for the village, young genin." Tsunade sounded older than she usually let on. "Ebisu would be proud, and I'm sure Naruto would enjoy your antics as well." She turned to her captains. "Make sure these genin are properly compensated for their actions. They should see medics while I catch up on current events."

The ANBU captains saluted the Hokage, and then they lead the genin away to seek medical treatment. Though they offered to carry him, Udon refused. Tsunade watched them leave fondly. "They really are like that knucklehead." Shizune stifled a sobbing laugh at her sensei's words. With a heavy sigh, she leaned backwards and tapped her back. "I'm really getting too old for this."

Shizune shook her head and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Not at all, Tsunade-sama." She smiled kindly. "Just think of what Naruto-kun would say if he heard you talking like that."

Tsunade laughed. "That brat might just have the audacity to ask for my seat as Hokage!" She stared affectionately to a passing cloud. She saw her brother, lover, and that pervert in its shape. With a heavy sigh, she returned her attention to the living. "Come on then!" Shizune snapped to attention. "We have work to do!"

* * *

Hiashi recovered quickly enough and turned towards Suna as soon as he extracted his hand from the hot, desert sand. He pushed chakra into his feet as he watched Suigetsu work. The Hyuuga head understood the water shinobi was an expert with Suiton, but he had not counted on the rouge acting before he claimed victory.

Inwardly, Hiashi sighed. _"No, his victory is not in defeating me. His victory lies in capturing my youngest daughter. I cannot allow Sasuke's designs to involve either of my heirs!"_ He ran towards the rocky cliff face as quickly as he could, but he already knew his timing was off.

Suigetsu took advantage of certain properties of water. He knew how it expanded and contracted based on temperature, and he soaked the desert sands with his powerful Suiton. He was glad he took out Matsuri early. Otherwise, his improvised plan could easily fail.

He rapidly heated and cooled the water to destabilize the rock face. The moving, condensing, and expanding water cracked the hard surface until it could barely hold together. When Hiashi was about the deliver the final blow, he used low ranked Suiton to create large bubbles of water.

As the bubbles expanded, the rock face finally exploded. The falling boulders fell against the bubbles, and they exploded in scalding or freezing downpours. Tsume, Hishu, and Mori protected Matsuri under ledge as Hiashi rushed to Hanabi.

Suigetsu bubbled halfway out of the desert sands with a victorious grin on his face. In liquid form, he surrounded the young Hyuuga and dragged her underground. Hiashi stopped in his tracks. He did not have time to track them as he turned to defense. He had to stop the collapsing cliff from crushing Matsuri and Kankurou's genin.

It took hours for sand nin to dig them out. In that time, Hiashi lost track of his daughter with his Byakugan. He narrowed his eyes in a very visible form of anger. He knew how powerful Suigetsu was, but he also had strong companions. Among them, Sasuke was the biggest challenge.

He folded his arms over his chest. What purpose could Hawk have for his youngest daughter? Why would the water shinobi enter the desert with the expressed desire to declare war on the Hyuuga?

"It's time you stopped embellishing." Sasuke commanded as Suigetsu finally concluded his tale. "Needless to say, you successfully captured Hyuuga Hanabi, and you managed to best the head of the Hyuuga clan. While I am sure he is angry, I doubt he'll show such emotion to the world."

Suigetsu shrugged. "Ain't my fault. The guy has a real stone cold face. Impossible to read, that one." He chuckled. "You gotta admit. My story was great! I only embellished a little, but you can tell I'm a real genius. They oughta write a book about me!"

Karin sighed. "Get over yourself!"

"You know what…" Suigetsu started. "I'm in such a good mood; I'mma leave that'n' alone."

"Shut up both of you, or I'll let Juugo kill you." Sasuke knew his threat only offered him a temporary respite, but he only needed them quiet long enough to start the jutsu. "Prepare everything like we discussed. The sooner we get started; the sooner we can move on."

Karin gingerly picked up Hanabi and placed her on some soft loam. She feared Sasuke's anger more than for Hanabi's safety. She carefully monitored the girl's vitals while Juugo and Suigetsu set candles up around the bed of loam and Sasuke.

_Tenganyume_ was a delicate jutsu. It allowed the Sharingan to easily manipulate the psychology of the target, but the user was left extremely vulnerable. If not for Hawk, Sasuke would not dare use it. He meditated for several moments to properly prepare himself.

He built the situation in his mind and molded his chakra around it. He had to get every detail as precise and accurate as possible. He had to convince Hanabi the events were real. He also had to rely on her memories to fill in anything he did not know or somehow missed.

The first trip into _Tenganyume_ was crucial. It was the first build and set the tone for further trips. If he messed up, he would have to waste chakra building a new situation. If he succeeded, he needed only repeat the same situation ad nauseum.

Sasuke smirked. It was easy to manipulate the unsuspecting. He need only trick a genin. Regardless, Hanabi was still only the backup. It was far easier to work with preexisting material than to create it, even with the Sharingan.

* * *

Mizukura rejoined his troops at a ruined farm. He surveyed the damage from the flood with a deep, regretful sigh. _"The rains must have fallen hard and lasted long to do this kind of damage. The farms nearest the capitol are above the floodplains and usually avoid the worst of it."_ He looked up when one of his lieutenants approached.

"Mizukura-taichou, we've finished investigating this area. It appears this farm lost minimal crops. We were lucky in that regard. In addition, the entire family and most of their animals made it to a secure location before most of the floodwaters hit. We also found…" He paused, unsure of his words. "Well, I think you should have a look, sir."

Mizukura nodded and followed. He did not know what his lieutenant had to show him, so he felt some disquiet. They approached a man covered in mud and other debris. The river obviously washed him ashore after a long and likely arduous journey downstream. In his years of service to the daimyo miko, he had yet to see any survive a trip down the flood-swollen river.

"He still breaths, Mizukura-taichou." The lieutenant reported automatically.

_"Well, there's a first time for everything."_ Mizukura pondered as soldiers escorted a medic to the river-beaten man. He watched as they applied first aid and tried to scrub the mud from his exposed skin. The captain-commander tapped his chin. "Something about this man seems familiar." After a moment of thought, he waved the sense of déjà vu away. "In any case, keep me informed on his condition. As soon as he is awake, I want a full account of who he is."

"Mizukura-taichou?"

Shion's steadfast guardian looked to the curious soldier. "If he is a citizen of our land, he needs proper escort to his estate. There are dangers after a flood, after all. If he somehow survived the trip downstream from one of our neighbors, he'll need food and water. I'd like to speak with him if he is a guest from a foreign land as well."

The soldier saluted without further questions. "Of course, sir."

Mizukura nodded. He served as one of the lieutenants under the previous captain-commander, so he already had a lot of respect from the troops. The transition to his position was easy, and everything continued to run smoothly.

Still, they had to recruit troops after the fulfillment of the prophecy. Some of the newer troops did not understand all the tasks and protocols associated with enlistment. He was infinitely glad he had reliable lieutenants. Without them, he would run himself ragged just explaining everything.

Mizukura walked into a nearby tent expecting reports to read through and requests to approve. He was sadly not disappointed. There were few leaders who enjoyed paperwork. He would rather accompany his men and do some good in the field. With a heavy sigh, he sat down and opened the first manila folder.

It was hours later before he was disturbed. He _almost_ welcomed the interruption, but he had several emergency requisitions to sanction. He almost dismissed the intruder before a familiar voice spoke up. "Pardon my interruption, but I believe we have some business to attend to."

Mizukura turned in surprise to see the guest who washed up on the swollen banks of the nearby river. He was hardly recognizable in his current condition. Blood, bruises, and caked mud darkened his skin. His clothes were in tatters, probably from boulders in the river rapids.

Shion's guardian stood in shock and amazement. Before he could answer, a medic and soldier rushed into the tent. The soldier spoke up first. "I'm sorry, Mizukura-taichou! He rushed off before we could…"

Mizukura held his hand up to quiet further explanation. "It's okay. I do believe our guest here is correct. We have some business to attend to." He looked to the medic and soldier as they stood gaping at him. "In private, if you would."

They saluted and left without another word. After a moment, Mizukura sat and invited his guest to do the same. "I must say; I'm surprised." He tilted his head as he watched his guest for familiar mannerisms. "I'd like to know how you survived swollen waters and jagged rocks… However, I do believe there are more pressing questions. I'm sure you'll indulge me."

* * *

Tenten walked through town with Neji. Something felt off, but she could not put her finger on it. She enjoyed spending time with him, and she wanted to get to know him better. He often closed himself off, and he seemed too aloof at times. He seemed the same as always, yet she watched him suspiciously.

Neji seemed to have taken Mizukura's advice to heart. It was hard to tell, though. He had not said anything since the captain-commander interrupted their lunch. He just wandered through town, seemingly aimlessly. He obviously expected Tenten to follow because he stopped and waited whenever she fell behind.

As they continued their walk, Neji eyed each business they passed. He did not look with suspicion, but Tenten thought she detected obvious disdain. _"Is he mad about Mizukura's warning? That's not really like him…"_ She watched him, and a strange feeling growing in the pit of her stomach seized her mind. She had hoped the feeling was simply fatigue talking.

She shook her head. She could not explain exactly what she sensed was wrong. She might even sound crazy if she started with the compliment she received after Zetsu retreated. She had _expected_ a reprimand. After they made it to the city proper, he seemed colder and more distant than usual.

She blushed as she shook her head again. _"What would he think if he knew what I was thinking?"_ She looked to her teammate, and the heat left her cheeks. _"True, I can keep my cool around him usually, but it takes me a moment to recover once I do lose it."_

Neji stopped and turned to face Tenten. He seemed to ignore her anxious expression. "What do you think of Mizukura?" His tone was cold and hinted at ill temper. It was not the aloof and nearly expressionless tone she was used to.

She stiffened as she stared at him. She did not gawk. Instead, her resolve solidified. She took a deep breath and answered his question. "He is a responsible and reasonable man. He serves Shion-sama and this land well. He is affable, and he has a resolve to stand for what he believes. He can seem strict when necessary, but he is not overbearing or cruel."

Neji nodded. "Yet he thinks to order us away from an investigation. We only offer our support, but he has ordered shop owners to be wary of us. Perhaps he wishes to keep such investigations internal, but somebody hired assassins who endangered Hinata-sama."

Tenten set her jaw. She did not like the venom in her voice, but she needed to find the source of her disquiet. "You speak of Hinata with such dispassion that it's hard to recognize you beneath that cold exterior."

Neji paused for a long moment before replying. "You must be imagining things. After the ordeal with Zetsu, I'm surprised you required no more medical attention than first aid." He eyed her a moment before turning. "Now then, let's continue our walk. There are more sights I wish to see. Perhaps a farmer…"

"No." Tenten interupted, and he turned around. She gulped at his spiteful stare. She hoped everything was just conjured by her own mind. In spite of her sudden fear, she pressed on. "Why did you compliment me back in the woods?"

Neji almost appeared to smirk. "You fought well and held Zetsu off until I could return. Why would I not compliment your tactics and judgment?"

Tenten looked down dejected. Something far worse replaced the feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her worry turned to fear. Tears welled in her eyes, but she fought them back. Though her body shook and voice quavered, she felt a surge of strength. "It is a dangerous jutsu. It puts the user at a supreme disadvantage once the opponent sees through it, and it should never be used without support."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Are you second guessing yourself now? It is a dangerous habit." He paused and made to turn again. "If you are very well finished…"

"Even if the opponent is temporarily thrown off by the appearance of the jutsu, the user must sacrifice equal to any benefit received." Tenten was obviously not finished. "The veil of a genjutsu can only do so much. A good support can mitigate any sacrifice the jutsu requires. Make sure to _never_ use that jutsu while you are without support."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "You may well believe the words you speak, but the situation was dire. Why are we even having this discussion? My report will reflect well upon your actions."

"They are _your_ words, Neji!" Tenten almost yelled as tears finally broke through the dam of her self-control. "_You _told me never to use my jutsu without support! _You_ were supposed to be there to back me up! _You _were supposed to get me out of trouble!"

She could have sworn Neji's lips twitched. "As I said, the situation was dire. Zetsu had me captive, and Shion-sama was injured. There was no way Mizukura or his men could help. Obviously, his barrier was meaningless to Zetsu's spears."

Tenten smiled. "See, that doesn't sound like you at all. Mizukura-taichou is not useless. My jutsu disrupted his barrier, so it was either time-space or Suiton." Her tone grew harsher with every word. "Though, I suppose _you_ wouldn't actually know that." Venom punctuated her words.

* * *

Naruto walked ahead with Shikamaru. The blond genin wanted to discuss the missions with the team leader. The details were obvious for the first two. He was more curious about the Nara's opinion. They did not have details on the Earth daimyo's children, so they did not know the youngest daughter's age. Still, the assignments seemed purely diplomatic.

They were to guard the daimyo's youngest daughter while he hunted. The assignment was not difficult. They were in the heart of Earth and surrounded by enough rock nin to slow down just about any invasion. If they had anything to fear, they were small time bandits, thugs, and other brigands.

The mission benefitted Konoha financially and diplomatically. They had a village to rebuild, and stronger ties could ensure further aid. Naruto and his friends had no desire for war, so improved relations appealed to them.

The second mission depressed Naruto somewhat. Earth wanted their assistance securing the site for the next chunin exam. The blond genin was the last of his class to achieve promotion, and he had no team to participate. Still, he swore to uphold his nindo. He would try his best, and he _promised_ to protect the genin participating in the exam – where applicable.

Naruto was more curious about the third mission. It was ambiguous; though, it seemed to directly refer to the knucklehead shinobi. In essence, he was to report to a special committee for some kind of interview or testimony.

"What do you think they want?" Naruto was obviously curious. He had no idea what he had to offer Iwa. He would not sell out Konoha; though, he doubted they wanted anything of the sort. He wracked his brain for an answer, but he hoped his brilliant friend already had one.

Shikamaru looked to the clouds and almost appeared to ignore his powerful friend. After a moment, he answered. "Well, there are a few possibilities. They might want some information about Akatsuki. There is the Shadow Council, so perhaps they want to overcome and impasse." He sighed. "It's troublesome, but maybe they want to put you through some sort of test."

Naruto blinked. "Test? Like what?" He had not thought of that possibility.

Shikamaru shrugged. "You're too troublesome to put in a chunin exam. You don't really know how to hold back, and you pack some serious jutsu." He paused. "Not to mention, you're just way too powerful." He locked the blond with his rare, serious gaze. "Those are the most likely possibilities. They either want you to testify about Akatsuki or pacify a need to see you participate in the chunin exam."

Naruto turned his eyes to the clouds as Shikamaru returned his gaze to the fluffy, white formations. "I _will_ become Hokage, even if they don't let me participate. I'll just prove I'm the best…" He paused. "…but it would be cool to show off like that." He smiled impossibly bright. "I won't let my friends keep racing ahead of me!"

Shikamaru chuckled. _"Leave it to that troublesome knucklehead to think we're the ones racing ahead of him. Regardless…"_ He cleared his throat. "However, you do look a lot like the Fourth. In the worst case, they may want recompense."

Naruto shrugged. "Then we run." He felt his brilliant friend stare at him. "No way Kanaeru sent us here if they intended anything like that. Besides, otou-chan only performed his duty. Let the old geezers sort out their past feelings. I'd rather prepare for the future."

Shikamaru shook his head. "You know what they say about the past, right?"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah. You're doomed to repeat it if you don't learn." His grin widened at the incredulous look he received. "I did say _prepare_ for the future! Ain't no way I'm letting some silly mistakes from the past ruin what I plan to build."

Shikamaru had to hand it to his hyperactive friend. He sometimes had the outward appearance of an idiot, but his sensei really pounded critical thinking into him. Iruka, Kakashi, and Jiraiya had the right idea. They saw something in him, and they started grooming him for the highest position of power in the village.

Still, Shikamaru wanted to know what the blond meant. "Does that mean you have an answer to Nagato's question?"

Naruto shook his head in the negative. "Nah, I don't yet. I just know I want to protect my friends from war." He smirked and chuckled. "I also plan on making friends _everywhere_!"

Shikamaru shook his head in disbelief. "Well, I suppose that's a good enough place to start." He honestly did not know what to expect from the knucklehead, but he was glad to call him friend. He returned to cloud gazing only for another interruption.

"I know Nagato wanted peace the wrong way." Naruto started. He felt his brilliant friend's attention as he just continued. "You can't _force_ peace on people." He looked up and thought about Nagato's story. "You can't create something through hate. I understand; sometimes you have to fight for something." He paused with a sigh. "Not to mention, there _are_ things worth fighting for…"

Shikamaru felt drawn by his friend's words. He knew the blond could be charismatic when he wanted, but he never took advantage of people. Really, the existential speech surprised him most. "Maybe there are others who don't think that something is worth fighting for."

Naruto nodded. "There are things everybody wants." He paused for a moment before seeming to shift gears. "You're courting Temari, right?" The young Nara practically spat in surprise. "Supposed to be a secret?"

Shikamaru coughed. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Nothing really official yet."

Naruto nodded. "Do the Nara practice arranged marriages? I think the Hyuuga do, and I've heard our daimyo married off some of his sons and daughters for political gain – usually diplomatic."

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that's how tou-san and kaa-san got together. Really, tou-san was too lazy to find his own woman, so his parents found kaa-san." He sighed. "I'd rather find an ordinary woman and have an ordinary life." He rolled his eyes and muttered something similar to his catchphrase. "I can't deny; I'm okay with Temari."

Naruto chuckled. "Only you…" He laughed a little louder. "Temari is gorgeous, and she obviously has eyes for you. How can you go back to boring _ordinary_ after that?"

Shikamaru yawned. "Simple." He looked to his knuckleheaded friend. "I actually like boring. Unlike some people, who will remain nameless…" He coughed and seemed to say a certain jinchuuriki's name. "…I don't really want to stand out. I'd rather go with the flow and let things fall as they may."

"Things didn't turn out the way you wanted, huh?" Naruto watched his friend shrug. "I'd really have it no other way. Konoha needs you." He paused. "A good Hokage recognizes and uses the best talent he can find, and you just fit nicely into my plans."

"There you go with your plans again." Shikamaru was amused. Others might see the jinchuuriki as some clueless wannabe, but he saw something deeper every single time he looked. He was curious where the knucklehead planned to go. "What do arranged marriages have to do with what everybody is willing to fight for?"

"Freedom." Naruto paused and looked for confirmation in his friends eyes. He felt more than saw the spark, the light. Moreover, he found it humorous to see him nearly miss a step and trip. "You can't force peace on people because, eventually, you either have to clamp down on their everyday lives, or they sue for simple things they can only have when they are free to chase them."

Shikamaru forced his eyes to stay on the clouds high above. They had no lofty ambitions, much like him. They floated from one port to another on the whim of the winds. They collected water vapor and eventually soaked the earth when laden enough. They lived a simple, ordinary life. "You're talking about freedom, but you want me to give it up to work for your Hokage office."

Naruto smiled softly. "Yeah, well… Maybe my ideas aren't perfect... I just know Nagato had it wrong. His ambitions either crush everything or lead to another revolution. I think he saw it, too. Blinded as he was with revenge, I don't think he was that foolish."

"You really are amazing, Naruto." Shikamaru observed a particularly fox-like cloud pass over the horizon before continuing. "You continue to surprise and confound me." He sighed. "Besides, Temari would kick me if I didn't help you." He smirked. "Not to be cruel, but I think a change of subject is overdue."

"Huh?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"What are you going to do about Hinata?" Shikamaru practically cooed cruelly.

Naruto blushed. "Okay, I need to cement my decision…" The conversation seemed to end abruptly with his acknowledgement as the gates of Earth's capitol came into view.

* * *

Hinata and Sakura hung back. They watched their male teammates for long while as they discussed details of the mission. At least, that was what they thought. Sakura stole glances towards her pale-eyed teammate. She hoped they were friends, but she was never really confident enough to call somebody that without some kind of confirmation.

Regardless, she wanted some girl talk, and Ino was not around. Clearing her throat, she tried to break the ice. "Why Naruto?" She flushed red as she realized how dumb her question sounded.

"Huh?" Hinata responded innocently. She seemed suddenly drawn back to reality. Perhaps she was watching the road for potential dangers.

"Why…?" Sakura coughed as she thought about her question. "Why did you choose Naruto? I mean; you've had a crush on him since the academy. He seemed like an idiot back then, and there were cuter guys…"

Hinata smiled. She did not get mad at the apparent insults. She knew how tough the medic's exterior appeared. She also understood where the question was coming from. "I guess I saw something nobody else could."

Sakura sighed. "Okay, he obviously isn't so stupid. The sensei at the academy just _ignored_ him. I…" She stopped when her female teammate shook her head.

Hinata continued gently. "I think…" She sighed. "No, we were kids. We believed what our parents told us."

"Then why didn't you hate Naruto?" The Hyuuga's calm demeanor surprised Sakura.

Hinata thought back. "I suppose because otou-sama never disparaged Naruto-kun."

"Ugh, that makes me feel worse!" Sakura looked downcast.

"Sakura…" Hinata started and hesitated. After a moment, she continued. "People were afraid, and they felt their fear justified an outlet. Don't hate yourself, and don't hate those who feared him."

Sakura sighed. "It's kinda hard. He never deserved any of it. He's the _Fourth's_ kid for crying out loud!"

Hinata nodded. "Yes he is, but he never hated anybody. He didn't even understand why everybody hated him until he found out he was a jinchuuriki." She paused. "That was when he joined the genin ranks. Do you want to know what I saw in him in the academy?"

Sakura nodded. She was honestly curious. She only saw an annoyingly flirtatious – using the term loosely – child. Most of the adults seemed to hate him, and her peers reciprocated that hatred with taunts and ridicule.

Hinata smiled and blushed. "I saw unadulterated light. I saw an unwavering will. He reached out to the future to grasp it, and he didn't care who got in his way. He wanted to turn the hatred he saw around, and he earnestly wanted to protect everybody. He noted his special people, but he never turned away from anybody in need."

Sakura just stared wide-eyed at the pale-eyed shinobi. "You really love him." Her teammate's words floored her, and she said the first thing that came to her mind.

Hinata nodded. "He's had to discover everything on his own. Nobody helped guide him throughout his childhood and the academy. Iruka had to let go of his prejudice first. I don't know why the Third or Kakashi never helped, but I think I can guess."

Sakura rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he seems slow and dim, but he absorbs things like a sponge. Did you see those jutsu he used against the Pein Rikudo?"

Hinata covered his mouth cutely as she chuckled. "He is also very creative. He seems to combine his _Rasengan_ with any jutsu he gets his hands on." She sighed in recollection. "He was the same in the academy. People shrugged it off as a lack of formal training, but I could see how hard he worked on his taijutsu combinations."

"He trained and _augmented _his own taijutsu?" Sakura easily put two and two together. She thought back to their early genin days. "I thought he just threw random kicks and punches, really. He seemed to get lucky a lot, but, I mean, he's Naruto!"

Hinata shook her head. "He watched every match and incorporated what he saw into his own style. Kakashi and Jiraiya honed his taijutsu, but his style is just as flexible as his imagination. You've seen him build on, perfect, and invent ninjutsu." She looked down; another thought crossed her mind. "I'm jealous. You got to spend so much time with him."

"I spent time with him, but I never watched him." Sakura sighed. "I only watched Sasuke-kun. I'm not ashamed to say I really fell in love with him." She shrugged and laughed. "I just crushed on him in the academy. Nothing like you."

Once again, Hinata shook her head. "No, I think I just had a crush. I'll admit; I couldn't get him off my mind even as I trained with Shino and Kiba. However when I saw him again at the chunin exams, I realized just how much I missed his light in my life."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah. He's pretty unforgettable." She looked to the sky. "I admit; I kinda missed him while Jiraiya trained him." Her eyes widened and she waved her arms at her teammate. "I don't mean like love or anything! I mean; he's kinda like a brother and all, but I don't really feel _that _way! I…"

Hinata laughed. "I think we all missed him. He was gone for three whole years. I'd be disappointed if you _didn't_ miss him." She smiled reminiscing. "Shino and Kiba won't admit it out loud, but I know they missed him. Even Akamaru whined happily when he caught Naruto-kun's scent."

Sakura looked down in thought. She admired the pale-eyed shinobi walking beside her. While she fell in love with an external perception, her counterpart fell in love with what everybody else refused to see. Both their feelings evolved over time to more accurately match reality, but the Hyuuga had a head start in that department.

"Naruto-kun won't trade you for anything in the world." Hinata drew her pink-haired girl out of her reverie. "You've been a good friend to Naruto-kun. A little harsh at times, but he's grown thanks to your presence. It's nice to have another friend to talk to, and a female friend right around my age is great for these kinds of talks."

Sakura blinked before she smiled. "Yeah, we girls need to stick together." Her smile turned a little cruel as she leaned in. "You know; I think Ino and Chouji are dating."

Hinata nodded with a wide smile. She lacked any sinister signs. "I know. Isn't it great?"

Sakura folded her arms over her chest with a harrumph. "I don't think you've got this gossip thing quite yet." She sighed. "Oh well, we'll have plenty of time to go over things like that. Anyway, it looks like we're here."

They picked up their pace to catch up with the guys. Together, the four-man cell entered the capitol of Earth to start their first assignment for the daimyo.

* * *

Madara watched the kousotsu curiously. The armor-clad man stood in place as he observed his surroundings. The strange light continued to bob around him and strobe seemingly random colors. Confident in his abilities, he allowed the silent warrior to get the lay of the land. However, his patience had its limits.

After a while, he started tapping his foot. Not long after, he angrily and repeatedly jabbed his fore and middle fingers into his biceps. Finally, he called the armored figure out. "Are you so slow? I gave you the opportunity to finish your sightseeing, and I even offered you an easy, first strike. You are in _my_ territory. You will answer my questions, and then you will die."

The kousotsu turned his gaze to the masked Akatsuki shinobi. His eyes seemed to penetrate the mask and witness bare of any disguise. "I am under no obligation to name my sumitsuki. However, I am an honorable warrior. Though I have forgotten my name, you – Madara referred to as Tobi – may refer to this humble self as Gayt."

Madara's visible eye twitched. "You are a man full of interesting surprises." He held up his hand and counted up his observations. "One, you followed the man who can outrun lightning. Two, your armor completely masks your chakra. Three, you know more than you let on. Four, you think to actually surprise me with that jutsu over your shoulder."

He balled his fist before pointing to the ball of light. "I see through your plans. You want to disguise your jutsu with that creation, or you wish to distract me with a pitiful genjutsu. You are a foolish kousotsu. Perhaps your sumitsuki is more the fool for sending you to face me."

Calmly, Gayt answered. "Star is neither creation nor jutsu. She is my eternal companion who has braved even jigoku for my soul. While she aids me, I do not use her. You show your fear and lack of understanding. If your eyes cannot see it, you jump to conclusions and hope to strike fear into your opponent."

He held his arm parallel to the ground beneath his feet. "I am no fool for seeking you. I understand more than you realize, and I hold secrets you cannot hope to wrest from my breast. Do you still wish to spout nonsense your eyes cannot see?"

Madara's chest heaved in frustration, and he breathed through clenched teeth. He did not speak for several, long moments. After a moment, he closed his eyes and stretched his neck. "You certainly can run your mouth. It is of no matter. You cannot defeat me." He smirked under his mask. "Your only hope is to flee, but I am much inclined to hunt you like the useless creature you are and end you."

"Tell me…" Gayt started. His voice never wavered. "How do you expect to best me?" He almost felt the heat of his enemy's anger. "You cannot sense me. You cannot _see_ my companion." He seemed to know what buttons to press. "Allow me to return your words. You cannot defeat me."

Madara laughed. He seemed amused as he waved his the armored figure off. "You…" He doubled over in laughter. "My, you are a brave fool." He heaved a breath as he regained his self-control. "You think we rest in stalemate? You have obviously never faced the Sharingan."

Gayt nodded. "I have not, nor have I faced any kekkei genkai. They seem to have no effect on me. In essence, you face me as a shinobi freshly recruited from the academy. You cannot rely on your perceived superiority."

Gayt formed a fist, and a seemingly crystalline poleaxe appeared from the ether. At the same instant, Madara released the black flames of _Amaterasu_. He laughed as the flames lapped at and washed over the heavily armored warrior.

"How can you expect to escape so easily when burdened by that ridiculous armor?" He chuckled and turned away. "The Uzumaki never could see when the end was nigh."

"Ah, these flames are familiar. Are you sure you can control something so otherworldly?" The elder Uchiha stopped in his tracks when he heard the words of a man who should be consumed.

* * *

**End Notes**

I actually thoroughly enjoyed the official _Naruto_ manga... Hinata gave an epic "come to your senses, man" speech, and Kishi seemed to give NaruHina some more direct time.

Anyway, I did not directly name Konohamaru's taijutsu in this chapter, but I'm not going to make anybody wait. It is in the below jutsu list.

I hope you guys like the taijutsu I created for Konohamaru, Udon, Moegi, and Tenten. Though I introduced them late, I actually conceptualized them long before the Pein Rikudou fight. The timing was just bad to introduce them, and, as was implied, may have actually made the outcome worse.

As always, all reviews are welcome, and outright flames will be ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,049  
Story Page Count: 15

**Jutsu:**

Yuurei Kowasu - Phantom Breaker: Udon's taijutsu

Kami no Motsure - Hair Entanglement: Moegi's taijutsu

Ken o Mohou - Mimic the Fist: Konohamaru's taijutsu


End file.
